Impact of Stimulus Delivery Method on Music Enjoyment in Cochlear Implant Users

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Neuroscience
• Bioengineering

Background:

• Music re-engineering improves music enjoyment for cochlear implant (CI) users.
• The method of audio stimulus delivery may influence music enjoyment in CI recipients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare music enjoyment between direct streaming (DS) and external audio (EA) in CI users.
• To investigate how stimulus delivery mechanisms affect music perception and enjoyment.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study was conducted at an academic cochlear implant center.
• Participants (n=36, age 18+) with unilateral or bilateral CI listened to music via DS and EA, with a crossover design after 2 weeks.
• Music excerpts were rated on musicality, naturalness, and pleasantness to derive a total enjoyment score.

Main Results:

• A significant preference for EA over DS was observed across all participants (p < 0.0001).
• Unilateral CI users showed a stronger preference for EA, especially those with a co-existing unaided deaf ear.
• No significant difference in preference between EA and DS was found in bilaterally implanted users.

Conclusions:

• External audio (EA) is preferred over direct streaming (DS) for music enjoyment assessment in unilateral cochlear implant (CI) recipients.
• Stimulus delivery methods (EA vs. DS) are not equivalent and impact music enjoyment perception.
• Findings suggest tailored approaches to audio delivery may optimize music experience for CI users.