Characterization of musical perception in cochlear implant users

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To evaluate the musical perception of adults with cochlear implant using the Munich Music Questionnaire (MUMU).

Methods

Cross-sectional research with a quantitative approach, approved by the institution's Research Ethics Committee (Opinion n° 1,626,211). Twenty-one post-lingual adults who were cochlear implant users for at least one year participated in the study. The data collection instrument applied was the Munich Questionnaire, which covers questions about participation in musical activities and about the habits of listening to music in relation to musical styles, different instruments, the listening environment and the use of assistive devices. The data were computed in absolute and relative values ​​and descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample.

Results

It was possible to observe that there was improvement in the frequency of music heard after cochlear implantation. Of the participants, most respondents did not connect the music directly to their processor. Most patients listen to music for pleasure and to relax, and they can mostly sense the rhythm. The instrument with the highest frequency of detection was the piano, followed by the drums. The musical genre referred to with great satisfaction was techno and religious. Of the 10 patients who played instruments before hearing loss, 4 played again after implantation and 3, who did not play, began to play after cochlear implantation.

Conclusion

It was possible to observe that the use of the cochlear implant provided an improvement in the users' musical perception, reflecting an improvement in the quality of life. Therefore, rehabilitation should include within the auditory training the development of musical abilities.

Keywords:
Cochlear implantation; Music; Questionnaires; Quality of life