Clinical assessment of music perception in Korean cochlear implant listeners

Abstract

Conclusion: The Korean version of the Clinical Assessment of Music Perception (K-CAMP) test is an efficient, self-administrable test for discrimination of a wide range of music perception ability in adult Korean cochlear implant (CI) users. Objectives: The aims of the study were the development of a clinically practical test of music perception for adult Korean CI lisetners and evaluation of its effectiveness. Methods: Twelve adult post-lingually deafened patients and 12 normal-hearing (NH) controls were tested with the K-CAMP test, comprising pitch direction discrimination, melody identification, and timbre identification tests. Results: Pitch discrimination, melody identification, and timbre identification in CI users showed a wide range of perceptual abilities. The mean pitch change discrimination difference limen (DL) for the base frequency of 262 Hz (middle C) was 2.7 ± 1.7 semitones: 4.4 ± 4.2 semitones for 330 Hz (E4) and 8.1 ± 3.0 semitones for 391 Hz (G4) in CI listeners. The DL widened as the base frequency increased. The melody identification test produced 21.1 ± 21.7% correct answers, and the timbre identification test recorded 25.7 ± 8.5% correct answers in CI listeners. Pitched percussion instruments (piano, guitar) were better for timbre identification. Speech performance scores had a positive correlation with the pitch discrimination DL (p < 0.05).

Keywords::

• Music
• pitch
• melody
• timbre

Acknowledgment

The authors are grateful to the staff members of the VM Bloedel Hearing Research Center for their continuing cooperation and providing the UW-CAMP on this study.