Music perception following cochlear implantation

Cochlear implants, which restore hearing in profoundly deaf patients, also allow many recipients to hear and enjoy music, significantly increasing their quality of life (QOL), according to a new study.

The findings, presented at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation's Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in Washington, DC, indicate that while implant recipients experience a significant decrease in their listening habits, about half still enjoy music. In the results of a questionnaire administered to 52 cochlear implant recipients, researchers discovered 38 percent of respondents listened to music more than two hours a week, with 52 percent saying they still enjoyed music post-implantation.

Implant recipients who indicated the quality of sound through their implant was better also had higher results in the quality-of-life questionnaire.

It remains unclear whether spending more time listening to music makes the experience more pleasant. The authors believe these findings will lead to a greater emphasis on improving the quality of sound that cochlear implants allow, and therefore the quality of life in implant recipients.