Music processing with cochlear implants: Double dissociation effects of discrimination, association and appreciation in different groups of CI users

Introduction Many patients with cochlear implants (CI) report limitations in music perception. However, music comprises very different aspects which rely on different mechanisms. We examined three of these aspects in the present study, namely discrimination ability, access to semantic association in music and musical appreciation.

Method Four groups of CI patients differing in their hearing history as well as control subjects participated. Discrimination ability was assessed by a standardized test. Semantic association ability was evaluated using late event-related potentials (N400 component). They were elicited by visual target words that followed complex auditory musical excerpts. The words were either semantically related or unrelated to the music. Musical appreciation was measured via questionnaires.

Results Discrimination abilities were poor in all CI-groups compared to controls. ERPs showed evoked potentials similar to controls only in postlingual participants as well as in prelinguals with early CI supply. Musical appreciation was evaluated higher by both prelingual groups than by postlingual or SSD participants.

Conclusion Despite reduced discrimination abilities, postlingual CI participants as well as early supplied CI participants were able to activate semantic meaning in music. This is in contrast to prelingually late supplied and single sided deafness CI patients. The clear dissociation of different musical levels demonstrates that conclusions about music in CI patients have to be drawn very carefully and have to consider the musical aspect as well as the hearing history of the patients.

Koelsch et al. (1999). Music, language and meaning: brain signatures of semantic processing. Nature Neuroscience.

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Publication History

Article published online:
10 June 2020