Three-dimensional Perception of Sounds in Military with Acoustic Trauma

Three-dimensional Perception of Sounds in Military with Acoustic Trauma

Spatial hearing capacities of soldiers with acoustic trauma are evaluated in ENT consultations with routine tests (i.e. tonal audiometry, voice audiometry). While the results conclude that soldiers with acoustic trauma have sufficient abilities to carry out professional missions, soldiers report recurring complaints of sound localization (spatial hearing), i.e. difficulties in identifying the position of sound sources in their environment. However, there is currently no objective test to identify and objectify these complaints of spatial hearing.

The investigators have developed a new approach (SPHERE) based on virtual reality and 3D motion tracking, allowing us to evaluate and record the spatial hearing performance of subject with hearing deficit. This system allowed us to highlight localization deficits in three-dimensional space.

This project explores and quantifies the spatial hearing impairments of soldiers with acoustic trauma. The quantification of the spatial hearing capacities will allow to define a specific rehabilitation strategy of spatial hearing deficits.

Inclusion Criteria:

acoustic traumatized military group :

• Age between 18 and 65 inclusive
• Active or reserve military personnel
• Diagnosis of noise trauma for at least one month
• Regularly followed up in the ENT department of the Desgenettes Army Training Hospital in Lyon or in the medical offices of the Army Medical Centers.
• Able to understand the experimental instructions
• Affiliated to a social security scheme
• Having been informed of the study and having given their agreement to participate normal hearing group :
• Age between 18 and 65 years inclusive
• Able to understand the experimental instructions
• Affiliated to a social security scheme
• Having been informed of the study and given their agreement to participate

Exclusion Criteria:

• Known current or past neurological or psychiatric disorder
• Oculomotor/visual disorder
• Bilateral vestibular areflexia
• Person under court protection, guardianship or curatorship
• Pregnant or breastfeeding woman
• Known hearing loss for normal hearing group