Static Postural Stability Is Not Associated with Wayfinding or Spatial Hearing in Young Adults

Background: The effect of auditory cues on postural stability has mostly been examined in a unidirectional manner, with evidence indicating that auditory impairment negatively affects postural stability and increases postural sway. However, to our knowledge, sound localization ability has not previously been investigated according to the level of postural stability in young adults. Purpose: This study shifts this perspective by examining the association between postural stability and spatial hearing. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the relationship between postural stability and spatial auditory abilities, including sound localization performance. Research Design: This is a prospective cross-sectional study. Study Sample: A total of 120 young adults (mean age: 23.31 ± 2.89 [range 21–39] years) with pure-tone average (PTA) ≤ 20 dB HL were included in this study. Data Collection and Analysis: Postural stability was assessed using the tandem stance test conducted on a force platform. Navigation ability was assessed using the Wayfinding Questionnaire, while spatial auditory abilities were evaluated using the sound lateralization test and the Turkish Auditory Localization Scale (TALS). Results: There were no significant associations between center of pressure displacement and the Wayfinding Questionnaire, sound lateralization test, or TALS scores (p > 0.05). A moderate negative correlation was found between the Wayfinding Questionnaire score and the TALS score (r = −0.31, p = 0.007). However, no significant relationship was observed between the Wayfinding Questionnaire score and the sound lateralization test score (p = 0.205). Conclusions: The findings indicate that, in young adults with PTA ≤ 20 dB HL, static balance performance is not associated with wayfinding or spatial auditory performance. The relationship between postural control and spatial perception appears to be limited and task dependent. Clinical Relevance Statement: The findings suggest that, in young adults with PTA ≤ 20 dB HL, variations in static postural stability do not meaningfully affect spatial hearing or sound localization performance. This indicates that routine balance differences alone may not need to be considered a confounding factor during clinical spatial hearing assessments in young adults. However, the observed task-dependent relationship between wayfinding and auditory localization highlights the potential value of integrated vestibular–auditory evaluations in selected clinical populations.