Clinical evaluation of music perception, appraisal and experience in cochlear implant users

Abstract

Objectives: The objectives were to evaluate the relationships among music perception, appraisal, and experience in cochlear implant users in multiple clinical settings and to examine the viability of two assessments designed for clinical use. Design: Background questionnaires (IMBQ) were administered by audiologists in 14 clinics in the United States and Canada. The CAMP included tests of pitch-direction discrimination, and melody and timbre recognition. The IMBQ queried users on prior musical involvement, music listening habits pre and post implant, and music appraisals. Study sample: One-hundred forty-five users of Advanced Bionics and Cochlear Ltd cochlear implants. Results: Performance on pitch direction discrimination, melody recognition, and timbre recognition tests were consistent with previous studies with smaller cohorts, as well as with more extensive protocols conducted in other centers. Relationships between perceptual accuracy and music enjoyment were weak, suggesting that perception and appraisal are relatively independent for CI users. Conclusions: Perceptual abilities as measured by the CAMP had little to no relationship with music appraisals and little relationship with musical experience. The CAMP and IMBQ are feasible for routine clinical use, providing results consistent with previous thorough laboratory-based investigations.

Key Words::

• Music
• music perception
• cochlear implant
• music appraisal
• hearing impairment

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the assistance of audiologists at the following clinics who collected data for this study: Center for Hearing and Balance (St. Louis, USA), Columbia Presbyterian (New York, USA), Denver Ear Associates (Denver, USA), House Ear Clinic (Los Angeles, USA), Houston Ear Research Foundation (Houston, USA), the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, USA), Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston, USA), New York University Medical Center (New York, USA), the Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada), St. Paul's Hospital (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), Sunnybrook (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, USA), University of Florida (Gainesville, USA), and the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, USA). Thanks to Justin Aronoff for providing helpful consultation on statistics. The authors also appreciate the efforts of two anonymous reviewers for their helpful commentary.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

This research was supported by Cochlear Americas, the Advanced Bionics Corporation, NIH grants R01-DC007525, P30-DC04661, L30-DC008490 and 2 P50 DC00242, the General Clinical Research Centers Program grant RR00059, the National Center for Research Resources, and the Iowa Lions Foundation.