The Effects of Cochlear Implants on Musical Perception in Hearing-Impaired Individuals
The Effects of Cochlear Implants on Musical Perception in Hearing-Impaired Individuals
Communication Deviations and Disorders
March 5, 2013
There are many effects that cochlear implants have on individuals with impaired hearing. Music is a major aspect of hearing that is affected by the presence of a cochlear implant in these individuals. Characteristics like pitch, rhythm and meter, melodic contour, and timbre are those that most affect the perception of music in those who have cochlear implants. By understanding the differences in musical perception caused by having cochlear implants, researchers can develop technology that will greatly advance the hearing quality of these listeners. This could certainly lead to improvement in speech perception in hearing-impaired individuals.
Previous studies have found that pitch perception is the most difficult aspect of music to distinguish for individuals with cochlear implants (CIs). Pitch is the highness or lowness of a sound. It is described as the perceived frequency of complex tones that is heard by the human ear (Drennan and Rubinstein, 2008). Pitch is also known as the rate of vibrations of a sine wave that travel through the air per second, and it is expressed in Hertz (Hz).
The temporal coding theory states that the repetition rate of a pitch relies on the complexity of the tone. These repetitions that average up to 2,000 Hz correspond to locations on the basilar membrane in the cochlea in normal hearing individuals. In CI listeners, the average pitch repetition does not extend above 300 Hz. This limit of 300 Hz corresponds to the middle-C note on the piano, which implies that it would be more difficult to perceive pitches with a fundamental frequency higher than that note (Looi, McDermott, McKay, and Hickson, 2008). Because of the limited range of frequencies that can be heard clearly in users with CIs, musical perception is skewed. This muddles songs that are composed of complex melodies and
Communication Deviations and Disorders
March 5, 2013
There are many effects that cochlear implants have on individuals with impaired hearing. Music is a major aspect of hearing that is affected by the presence of a cochlear implant in these individuals. Characteristics like pitch, rhythm and meter, melodic contour, and timbre are those that most affect the perception of music in those who have cochlear implants. By understanding the differences in musical perception caused by having cochlear implants, researchers can develop technology that will greatly advance the hearing quality of these listeners. This could certainly lead to improvement in speech perception in hearing-impaired individuals.
Previous studies have found that pitch perception is the most difficult aspect of music to distinguish for individuals with cochlear implants (CIs). Pitch is the highness or lowness of a sound. It is described as the perceived frequency of complex tones that is heard by the human ear (Drennan and Rubinstein, 2008). Pitch is also known as the rate of vibrations of a sine wave that travel through the air per second, and it is expressed in Hertz (Hz).
The temporal coding theory states that the repetition rate of a pitch relies on the complexity of the tone. These repetitions that average up to 2,000 Hz correspond to locations on the basilar membrane in the cochlea in normal hearing individuals. In CI listeners, the average pitch repetition does not extend above 300 Hz. This limit of 300 Hz corresponds to the middle-C note on the piano, which implies that it would be more difficult to perceive pitches with a fundamental frequency higher than that note (Looi, McDermott, McKay, and Hickson, 2008). Because of the limited range of frequencies that can be heard clearly in users with CIs, musical perception is skewed. This muddles songs that are composed of complex melodies and
References: Cooper, W. B., Tobey, E., & Loizou, P. C. (2008). Music perception by cochlear implant and normal hearing listeners as measured by the Montréal battery for evaluation of Amusia. Ear and Hearing, 29(4), 618. Drennan, W. R., & Rubinstein, J. T. (2008). Music perception in cochlear implant users and its relationship with psychophysical capabilities. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, 45(5), 779. Galvin, J. J. I., - Fu, Q., & - Nogaki, G. – Melodic contour identification by cochlear implant listeners. Ear and Hearing, 28(3), 302. Looi, V., McDermott, H., McKay, C., & Hickson, L. (2008). Music perception of cochlear implant users compared with that of hearing aid users. Ear and Hearing, 29(3), 421-434. Vongpaisal, T., Trehub, S. E., & Schellenberg, E. G. (2006). Song recognition by children and adolescents with cochlear implants. Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research, 49(5), 1091-1103. doi: 10.4044/1092-4388(2006/078)