A Study of Music Training for Cochlear Implant Users: Mismatch Negativity and Music Listening Attitude and Satisfaction Questionnaire

Purpose: The music rehabilitation program (MRP) promotes auditory, language, cognitive, and motor development of the brain. The significance of MRP was studied through mismatch negativity (MMN) and Music Listening Attitude and Satisfaction Questionnaire for hearing loss (MASQ_H). Methods: Fifteen adult cochlear implant (CI) users (34.5 years; standard deviation, ± 11.6) participated. MMN was tested before and after MRP training at the stimulus intensity level of 70 and 100 dB hearing loss (HL). In addition, MASQ_H was utilized. Results: For the pre- and post-tests of MMN, the average amplitudes of the waveforms were -2.48 ± 1.95 µV and -6.11 ± 4.21 µV and the areas were 208.16 ± 211.59 µV·ms and 527.87 ± 360.42 µV·ms with the significant difference when the stimulus level was presented at 70 dB HL. For MASQ_H, 90.9% of the participants responded that they felt satisfied with listening to music using CI or hearing aid. When asked about the musical factors that were improved in the music listening, the ‘pitch perception’ and ‘timbre perception’ were responded showing increased satisfaction rates. Conclusion: This study confirmed that MRP improved language processing by facilitating auditory processing, cognitive ability, and neural plasticity of the central auditory system through the increased amplitude and area of MMN after MRP application. Furthermore, providing a systematic music training such as MRP could change the music listening attitudes and satisfaction of the CI users’. The active implementation of music rehabilitation is strongly suggested.