Impact of unilateral hearing loss in early development

Abstract

Purpose of reviewThe purpose of this review is to provide an update on current literature as it relates to the impact of unilateral hearing loss for the pediatric population. Recent findingsCurrent studies further corroborate past research findings which reveal the potential consequences of unilateral hearing loss on spatial hearing, language, and neurocognitive functioning. Deficits among children with unilateral hearing loss may parallel those seen in children with bilateral hearing loss, further challenging historic views that hearing in one ear in childhood is sufficient for normal development. The potential deficiencies seen in children with unilateral hearing loss can be subtler than those seen with bilateral hearing loss, but may nonetheless also impact school performance, patient fatigue, parental stress, and quality of life. Early interventions within a sensitive period of development of the central auditory system may circumvent potential barriers in cognitive, academic, and psychosocial development.

The Effects of BCDs in Unilateral Conductive Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review

“…Children with UCHL usually do not show much inconvenience in life than those with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), possibly because they still have two normal functioning cochleae and a normal bone conduction hearing pathway. Although children with UCHL tend to have better school performance than those with SNHL, most of them still report communication and behavioral problems and need some sort of resource assistance [ 51 , 52 ]. Recently, a neuroimaging study has revealed abnormally high brain activities in the left inferior temporal gyrus of UCHL patients, which is positively associated with the duration of hearing loss [ 53 ].…”