Music perception and speech intelligibility in noise performance by Italian-speaking cochlear implant users

Abstract

Objective The goal of this study was to investigate the performance correlations between music perception and speech intelligibility in noise by Italian-speaking cochlear implant (CI) users. Materials and methods Twenty postlingually deafened adults with unilateral CIs (mean age 65 years, range 46–92 years) were tested with a music quality questionnaire using three passages of music from Classical Music, Jazz, and Soul. Speech recognition in noise was assessed using two newly developed adaptive tests in Italian: The Sentence Test with Adaptive Randomized Roving levels (STARR) and Matrix tests. Results Median quality ratings for Classical, Jazz and Soul music were 63%, 58% and 58%, respectively. Median SRTs for the STARR and Matrix tests were 14.3 dB and 7.6 dB, respectively. STARR performance was significantly correlated with Classical music ratings (rs = − 0.49, p = 0.029), whereas Matrix performance was significantly correlated with both Classical (rs = − 0.48, p = 0.031) and Jazz music ratings (rs = − 0.56, p = 0.011). Conclusion Speech with competitive noise and music are naturally present in everyday listening environments. Recent speech perception tests based on an adaptive paradigm and sentence materials in relation with music quality measures might be representative of everyday performance in CI users. The present data contribute to cross-language studies and suggest that improving music perception in CI users may yield everyday benefit in speech perception in noise and may hence enhance the quality of listening for CI users.

Low-frequency pitch coding: relationships with speech-in-noise and music perception by pediatric populations with typical hearing and cochlear implants

“…The strength of correlations shows a considerable variability (weak to strong), with a trend towards stronger relationships of melody/total Gordon scores with HI and WRSn + 10. Such significant relationships are in line with previous findings from adult CI users [ 12 , 13 , 22 ] and as promising as those from recent studies showing significant positive effects of music training on speech-in-noise understanding [ 23 ].…”

“…Indeed, auditory perception through CI appears satisfying in allowing speech processing in quiet [ 11 ] but is still very limited in providing access to fine details of spectro-temporal variations in speech-in-noise and music [ 10 ]. Consistently with previous studies [ 12 , 13 , 21 ], present CIC versus THC performance comparisons for LF pitch, speech-in-noise, and all music measures (rhythm, melody, and overall) except harmony reveal statistically significant differences with large effect sizes whereas both groups seem to obtain excellent scores for speech perception in quiet (scores equal or above 90% even in all CIC). CIC performances for harmony are also considerably poorer than those of THC, but statistically significant differences disappear for this measure after Bonferroni correction.…”

“…Nevertheless, the significant effects of LF pitch perception on both speech-in-noise and music perception performance become significantly evident in the overall group similarly with a previous study conducted by Fowler et al in adults [ 12 ]. Indeed, it is reasonable to expect such significant correlations to become even stronger in larger pediatric CI populations including bimodal users benefiting LF residual hearing and a hearing aid in the contralateral ear [ 6 , 13 ].…”

“…The main challenges of pitch, speech-in-noise, and music perception in CI users have been widely studied in the last decade [ 12 , 13 ]. However, these studies are mainly conducted in adult CI users whereas pediatric results are considerably more limited [ 4 , 12 ].…”

Greater working memory and speech perception scores in cochlear implant users predict better subjective quality of life and hearing

“…Music perception has been shown to be highly variable in CI users (Drennan et al, 2015;Gfeller et al, 2008;Philips et al, 2012;Wright & Uchanski, 2012) and correlated with speech perception in noise where individuals with better speech perception in noise report higher levels of listening and enjoyment of music (Dincer D'Alessandro et al, 2021). Previous studies have found difficulties when investigating CI users listening to lyrical music; this may suggest that the instrument accompaniment of lyrical music might act as background noise while they attempt to hear and understand the lyrics (Collister & Huron, 2008;Eskridge et al, 2012;Gfeller et al, 2008Gfeller et al, , 2019.…”