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Updated: Apr 19, 2026
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Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
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Interplay between singing and cortical processing of music: a longitudinal study in children with cochlear implants
Ritva Torppa1, Minna Huotilainen2, Miika Leminen3
1Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Cognitive Science, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland ; Finnish Centre for Interdisciplinary Music Research, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland.
Frontiers in Psychology
|December 26, 2014
Summary
Singing may improve auditory skills in children with cochlear implants (CIs). CI singers showed better brain responses to sound changes than non-singers, suggesting singing aids auditory perception and attention development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
Background:
- Informal music activities like singing may enhance auditory perception and attention.
- Children with cochlear implants (CIs) often exhibit differences in auditory processing compared to normal-hearing (NH) peers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the accuracy and development of music-related sound change detection in children with CIs and NH.
- To determine if singing facilitates auditory perception and attention in children with CIs.
Main Methods:
- Recorded auditory event-related potentials (MMN and P3a) in children aged 4-13 years (CI and NH groups) at two time points.
- Assessed responses to changes in piano tone pitch, timbre, duration, and gaps.
- Compared neural responses between CI singers, CI non-singers, and NH children.
Main Results:
- CI children showed degraded discrimination and attention shift compared to NH children (smaller/later timbre P3a, later pitch P3a).
- Duration MMN increased over time only in the NH group; response pattern development differed between CI and NH groups for duration and gap changes.
- CI singers exhibited enhanced or rapidly developing P3a responses across all sound change types, unlike CI non-singers.
Conclusions:
- Singing appears to augment the development of neural networks for attention and improve neural discrimination in children with CIs.
- The findings highlight an interplay between MMN, P3a, brain development, cochlear implantation, and singing.
- Further research is needed to confirm singing's benefits for auditory perception and attention in children with CIs.
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