Jerry L. Cranford

Tests of the precedence effect in sound localization reveal abnormalities in multiple sclerosis

The precedence effect in sound localization involves presenting identical sounds (e.g., clicks) from pairs of matched speakers situated on opposite sides of a subjects head, with the clicks from one speaker preceding those from the other by a short interval. With appropriate delays, normal subjects perceive a fused image which originates from the side of the leading speaker. This test was administered to 24 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Separate tests involving speaker delays ranging from 0 msec (simultaneous presentation) to 8 msec were presented. At 0 msec delay, normal subjects perceived the fused image to be located halfway between the two speakers; at progressively longer delays, the image was perceived closer to the leading speaker. In contrast to normal subjects, a large proportion of the MS subjects exhibited difficulties with the task. The discrimination deficit was limited to delays below 1 msec, suggesting a problem involving an increased threshold for lateralizing the fused image away from midline toward the side of the leading speaker. The neural instability produced by demyelination in MS patients might account for this pattern of results.

Limitations of analysis of covariance designs in aging research.

Control of peripheral hearing loss represents a significant design problem in research examining age-related changes in central auditory processing. Statistical control procedures (e.g., partial correlation or analysis of covariance) represent one means of achieving such experimental control. Although these techniques have been advocated for this purpose by some researchers, potential confounding of the data due to statistical dependence between age and peripheral hearing loss may introduce significant bias into the data distorting the reported results.