Binaural hearing has advantages for cochlear implant users also

Abstract

This paper describes the hearing functions traditionally assumed to be served by the binaural system. It also presents data to illustrate how these functions are served by bilateral cochlear implantation. The nature of hearing function in the everyday world has lately been an object of critical analysis. A point of emphasis is that the everyday world is dynamic, on the part of both the listener and the listening environment, and these characteristics merit greater research and clinical attention. Recent work on bilateral hearing aid fitting points up the importance of everyday world dynamics in appreciating what binaural hearing delivers.