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Paediatric otitis media with effusion is connected to deficits in music perception
Anna Krzyżak1, Olaf Zagólski2, Michał Pawełek3
1a Faculty of Philology , Pedagogical University of Kraków , Poland.
Insights
Children with otitis media with effusion (OME) experience impaired music perception, particularly in pitch and rhythm. This condition affects musical skills in early school-aged children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Audiology
- Music Cognition
- Child Development
Background:
- Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common childhood condition characterized by middle ear inflammation and fluid accumulation.
- OME can lead to temporary conductive hearing loss, potentially impacting auditory development and skills.
- Early identification and management of OME are crucial for mitigating long-term effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hypothesis that children with OME exhibit deficits in musical skills.
- To assess the impact of OME on various components of music perception in primary school children.
- To determine the correlation between OME and specific musical abilities.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Music Abilities (MBEMA) to assess music perception in 92 children aged 6-8 years.
- Compared music perception scores between a group of 23 children with OME and 69 age- and gender-matched controls.
- Ensured all participants had normal bone conduction thresholds and OME-related hearing loss did not exceed 40 dB.
Main Results:
- Children in the OME group demonstrated lower scores on scale, rhythm, and total MBEMA tests compared to the control group.
- Statistically significant differences were observed in scale and rhythm perception scores between the groups.
- These findings indicate a measurable impact of OME on auditory processing related to music.
Conclusions:
- Otitis media with effusion negatively influences music perception abilities in young children.
- OME is associated with impairments in both pitch (scale) and rhythm aspects of music perception.
- Early school-aged children with OME may require targeted auditory support to address musical skill development.
Purpose:
This study tested the hypothesis that children with otitis media with effusion (OME) attending a primary school are at risk of impairment of their musical skills. OME is characterized as an inflammation with accumulation of secretion in the tympanic cavity, leading to conductive hearing loss.
Method:
Perception of music in children is assessed using the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Music Abilities (MBEMA). Listeners are required to judge whether two successive melodies are the same or different on tests of scale, contour, interval and rhythm. They are also queried by a memory test. A total of 92 children (49 girls and 43 boys), aged 6.0-8.0 years (mean 7.3, SD 0.7), attending a music school, were examined using the MBEMA. Twenty-three children were allocated to the OME group, while the remaining 69 to the control group. Age and gender distribution did not differ between children with OME and the controls. All participants had normal bone conduction hearing thresholds. The conductive hearing loss of the children with OME did not exceed 40 dB at any frequency. Their OME was bilateral and had lasted 3-9 months.
Results:
The obtained scale, rhythm and total MBEMA scores were higher in the control group than in the OME group, with statistically significant differences for scale and rhythm scores.
Conclusions:
OME can influence music perception in children at the beginning of their school education. OME correlates with both pitch- and rhythm-related aspects of music perception.