Musical Backgrounds, Listening Habits, and Aesthetic Enjoyment of Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients

Abstract

This paper describes the listening habits and musical enjoyment of postlingually deafened adults who use cochlear implants. Sixty-five implant recipients (35 females, 30 males) participated in a survey containing questions about musical background, prior involvement in music, and audiologic success with the implant in various listening circumstances. Responses were correlated with measures of cognition and speech recognition. Sixty-seven implant recipients completed daily diaries (7 consecutive days) in which they reported hours spent in specific music activities. Results indicate a wide range of success with music. In general, people enjoy music less postimplantation than prior to hearing loss. Musical enjoyment is influenced by the listening environment (e.g., a quiet room) and features of the music. Abbreviations: HIGH = high school, POST = adult education, PRIM = primary school, SCT = Sequence Completion Test, SE = standard error, TERT = tertiary, VMT = Visual Monitoring Task, VMT1 = Visual Monitoring Task one per second rate, VMT2 = Visual Monitoring Task two per second rate.

Computer-based musical interval training program for Cochlear implant users and listeners with no known hearing loss

“…These technological and physiological constraints limit how music is transmitted by the implant and, consequently, limits music enjoyment for cochlear implant users. Studies have assessed adult cochlear implant user’s listening habits and music enjoyment through questionnaires ( Gfeller et al, 2000 ; Looi and She, 2010 ). They found that many were dissatisfied and spent less time listening to music post-implantation.…”

Effect of Frequency Response Manipulations on Musical Sound Quality for Cochlear Implant Users

“…These perceptual challenges largely stem from technological and anatomical limitations with CIs, including reduced frequency resolution due to broad bandpass filtering, a limited CI frequency input range, and imprecise electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve ( Limb & Roy, 2014 ). These factors may contribute to the decreased music enjoyment that many CI users experience, especially for individuals who used to enjoy music with normal acoustic hearing ( Gfeller et al, 2000 ; Migirov et al, 2009 ).…”

Susceptibility to Postoperative Changes in Music Appreciation in Elderly Cochlear Implant Recipients

“…Music provides emotional stability and enhances life satisfaction in humans, and CI users consider it to be the second most important acoustic stimulus after speech [ 7 , 8 ]. Music has a wider dynamic range and frequency spectrum than speech [ 7 , 9 ], and the signal processing mechanisms of a CI can lead CI users to experience difficulty in enjoying the wide acoustic spectrum of music [ 10 ].…”

“…Music has a wider dynamic range and frequency spectrum than speech [ 7 , 9 ], and the signal processing mechanisms of a CI can lead CI users to experience difficulty in enjoying the wide acoustic spectrum of music [ 10 ]. Previous studies have shown that after CI surgery, many recipients avoid listening to music due to a decrease in their music appreciation compared with the satisfaction experienced before hearing loss [ 8 ].…”