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Updated: May 20, 2026

Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
The music perception abilities of prelingually deaf children with cochlear implants
Katja Kladnik Stabej1, Lojze Smid, Anton Gros
1University Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Cervicofacial Surgery, The University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloska 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. katja.kladnik@kclj.si
Prelingually deaf children with cochlear implants show differences in music perception compared to normal-hearing peers, particularly in rhythm and instrument identification. Factors like auditory performance and musical education influence these abilities.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Pediatric Audiology
- Music Perception
Background:
- Cochlear implants (CI) offer a pathway to sound for prelingually deaf children.
- Understanding music perception in this population is crucial for auditory development and quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare music perception abilities between prelingually deaf children with CIs and normal-hearing children.
- To identify factors influencing music perception in children with CIs.
Main Methods:
- Compared 39 prelingually deaf children with unilateral CIs to 39 normal-hearing children using the MuSIC perception test.
- Evaluated the impact of age, age at implantation, device experience, sound-processing strategy, auditory performance, nonverbal intelligence, and musical education.
Main Results:
- Significant differences observed in rhythm discrimination (55% vs. 82%) and instrument identification (57% vs. 88%).
- No significant differences in melody discrimination or dissonance rating.
- Auditory performance and musical education positively correlated with melody discrimination and instrument identification.
Conclusions:
- Prelingually deaf children with CIs demonstrate distinct music perception profiles compared to normal-hearing peers.
- Further multi-center research with larger cohorts and diverse music subtests is recommended to explore contributing factors comprehensively.
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