Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2025
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Quality of life improvement in Cochlear implant outpatients: a non-randomized clinical trial of an auditory music
Andrea Frosolini1, Leonardo Franz2,3, Giulio Badin4
1Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
Objective:
Research on Cochlear implant (CI) outcomes has been mainly focused on verbal communication, whereas music perception has been less extensively explored. This study evaluated a music rehabilitation program, based on the mobile phone app Meludia (Meludia, France) to improve quality of life (QoL) and verbal perception in CI patients.
Design:
In this non-randomised clinical trial, the experimental group underwent 16 Meludia sessions, while controls did not receive any music-specific rehabilitation. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures, including the MUSQUAV questionnaire and NCIQ domains, were utilised alongside Matrix speech perception tests (which measure speech understanding in noise).
Study Sample:
Forty patients with CI were considered: experimental group (21 patients) and control group (19 patients).
Results:
Significant improvements (p = 0.017, and p < 0.001) in music-related PRO (MUSQUAV), and general CI PRO measures (NCIQ), respectively, were found in the experimental group. No significant differences were found in Matrix speech perception tests post-rehabilitation. Overall, 57% of participants in the experimental group reported subjective improvements in music perception.
Conclusions:
This study showed the potential of home-based music rehabilitation in enhancing QoL for CI patients, supporting the possibility of implementing specific musical training programs in audiological care. Larger, randomised, controlled trials are necessary for further characterisation of this topic.
