Precise interaural timing and level cues are critical for spatial hearing and speech understanding in noise. Bilateral cochlear implant (CI) users provide a controlled model to investigate how artificially introduced interaural timing disparities affect binaural hearing....
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Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Findings on how interaural timing delays degrade speech-in-noise performance in bilateral CI users may guide recommendations for synchronization between bilateral CI processors, though direct programming guidance awaits further validation.
Understanding the sensitivity of bilateral CI users to interaural timing delays is critical for optimizing device synchronization and counseling patients on realistic binaural hearing expectations.
- 01Examines interaural timing delays as a model for spatial hearing cues in bilateral CI users.
- 02Outcome focused on speech perception in noise—a key real-world CI performance metric.
- 03Published in Audiology and Neurotology (2026).
- 04Bilateral CI users' sensitivity to timing differences has implications for processor synchronization.
- 05May inform future bilateral CI fitting and programming guidelines.
Interaural timing delays negatively affect speech perception in noise in bilateral cochlear implant users.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42879342
- DOI
- 10.1159/aud/abnag007.
- Journal
- Audiology and Neurotology
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 2b
- Population
- Adults with bilateral cochlear implants
- Intervention
- Experimentally induced interaural timing delays between bilateral CI processors
- Comparator
- No timing delay (synchronized bilateral CI condition)
Primary outcomes
Speech perception in noise scores under varying interaural timing delays