Abstract
IntroductionMost cochlear implant (CI) users have difficulty in listening tasks that rely strongly on perception of frequency changes (e.g., speech perception in noise, musical melody perception, etc.). Some previous studies using behavioral or subjective assessments have shown that short-term music training can benefit CI users’ perception of music and speech. Electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings may reveal the neural basis for music training benefits in CI users.ObjectiveTo examine the effects of short-term music training on CI hearing outcomes using a comprehensive test battery of subjective evaluation, behavioral tests, and EEG measures.DesignTwelve adult CI users were recruited for a home-based music training program that focused on attentive listening to music genres and materials that have an emphasis on melody. The participants used a music streaming program (i.e., Pandora) downloaded onto personal electronic devices for training. The participants attentively listened to music through a direct audio cable or through Bluetooth streaming. The training schedule was 40 min/session/day, 5 days/week, for either 4 or 8 weeks. The pre-training and post-training tests included: hearing thresholds, Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ12) questionnaire, psychoacoustic tests of frequency change detection threshold (FCDT), speech recognition tests (CNC words, AzBio sentences, and QuickSIN), and EEG responses to tones that contained different magnitudes of frequency changes.ResultsAll participants except one finished the 4- or 8-week training, resulting in a dropout rate of 8.33%. Eleven participants performed all tests except for two who did not participate in EEG tests. Results showed a significant improvement in the FCDTs as well as performance on CNC and QuickSIN after training (p < 0.05), but no significant improvement in SSQ scores (p > 0.05). Results of the EEG tests showed larger post-training cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) in seven of the nine participants, suggesting a better cortical processing of both stimulus onset and within-stimulus frequency changes.ConclusionThese preliminary data suggest that extensive, focused music listening can improve frequency perception and speech perception in CI users. Further studies that include a larger sample size and control groups are warranted to determine the efficacy of short-term music training in CI users.
Highlights
Most cochlear implant (CI) users have difficulty in listening tasks that rely strongly on perception of frequency changes
Such tasks include speech perception in noise that requires the differentiation of the voice fundamental frequency (F0) between target and competing voices, and music melodic perception that requires the detection of dynamic pitch changes (Limb, 2006; Cullington and Zeng, 2008; Oxenham, 2008; Cousineau et al, 2010)
Our lab first reported that CI users’ frequency change detection thresholds (FCDTs; the minimum frequency change within a stimulus that can be detected by an individual) were significantly correlated to speech performance, further supporting the important role of frequency change detection ability in CI outcomes (Zhang et al, 2019)
Summary
Most cochlear implant (CI) users have difficulty in listening tasks that rely strongly on perception of frequency changes (e.g., speech perception in noise, musical melody perception, etc.). CI usage typically allows for satisfactory speech perception in quiet, CI users’ performance in tasks that heavily rely on pitch perception is typically poor Such tasks include speech perception in noise that requires the differentiation of the voice fundamental frequency (F0) between target and competing voices, and music melodic perception that requires the detection of dynamic pitch changes (Limb, 2006; Cullington and Zeng, 2008; Oxenham, 2008; Cousineau et al, 2010). Previous studies have used frequency discrimination or pitch ranking tasks, in which participants are required to identify the target frequency that is different from the reference frequency or to determine which of the presented sounds is higher in pitch These studies have shown that CI users’ ability to discriminate frequencies is significantly correlated with speech performance (Kenway et al, 2015; Turgeon et al, 2015). Our lab first reported that CI users’ frequency change detection thresholds (FCDTs; the minimum frequency change within a stimulus that can be detected by an individual) were significantly correlated to speech performance, further supporting the important role of frequency change detection ability in CI outcomes (Zhang et al, 2019)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
