A survey on music listening by cochlear implant users

Abstract

A questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate how cochlear implant users listen to and enjoy music, and to examine the factors associated with them. The results showed that 102 people responded to the questionnaire, indicating that many people continue to enjoy music after implantation. The results of a time series study showed that the enjoyment of music decreased with hearing loss, but improved to the same level as before hearing loss after implantation. Furthermore, while there was a trend toward lower ratings of sound quality and music with increasing age, it was suggested that music perception may be improved by practicing listening to music with cochlear implants. Future research should focus on improving subjective enjoyment.