Paediatric otitis media with effusion is connected to deficits in music perception

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Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities
09:38

Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities

Published on: January 29, 2014

Anna Krzyżak1, Olaf Zagólski2, Michał Pawełek3

  • 1a Faculty of Philology , Pedagogical University of Kraków , Poland.

Logopedics, Phoniatrics, Vocology
|April 8, 2017
PubMed

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.
Abstract

Keywords:
Childrenhearingotitis media with effusionperception of music

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