The effects of musical and linguistic components in recognition of real-world musical excerpts by cochlear implant recipients and normal-hearing adults.

BACKGROUND: Cochlear implants (CI) are effective in transmitting salient features of speech, especially in quiet, but current CI technology is not well suited in transmission of key musical structures (e.g., melody, timbre). It is possible, however, that sung lyrics, which are commonly heard in real-world music may provide acoustical cues that support better music perception. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine how accurately adults who use CIs (n = 87) and those with normal hearing (NH) (n = 17) are able to recognize real-world music excerpts based upon musical and linguistic (lyrics) cues. RESULTS: CI recipients were significantly less accurate than NH listeners on recognition of real-world music with or, in particular, without lyrics; however, CI recipients whose devices transmitted acoustic plus electric stimulation were more accurate than CI recipients reliant upon electric stimulation alone (particularly items without linguistic cues). Recognition by CI recipients improved as a function of linguistic cues. METHODS: Participants were tested on melody recognition of complex melodies (pop, country, & classical styles). Results were analyzed as a function of: hearing status and history, device type (electric only or acoustic plus electric stimulation), musical style, linguistic and musical cues, speech perception scores, cognitive processing, music background, age, and in relation to self-report on listening acuity and enjoyment. Age at time of testing was negatively correlated with recognition performance. CONCLUSIONS: These results have practical implications regarding successful participation of CI users in music-based activities that include recognition and accurate perception of real-world songs (e.g., reminiscence, lyric analysis, & listening for enjoyment).

Multivariate predictors of music perception and appraisal by adult cochlear implant users.

The research examined whether performance by adult cochlear implant recipients on a variety of recognition and appraisal tests derived from real-world music could be predicted from technological, demographic, and life experience variables, as well as speech recognition scores. A representative sample of 209 adults implanted between 1985 and 2006 participated. Using multiple linear regression models and generalized linear mixed models, sets of optimal predictor variables were selected that effectively predicted performance on a test battery that assessed different aspects of music listening. These analyses established the importance of distinguishing between the accuracy of music perception and the appraisal of musical stimuli when using music listening as an index of implant success. Importantly, neither device type nor processing strategy predicted music perception or music appraisal. Speech recognition performance was not a strong predictor of music perception, and primarily predicted music perception when the test stimuli included lyrics. Additionally, limitations in the utility of speech perception in predicting musical perception and appraisal underscore the utility of music perception as an alternative outcome measure for evaluating implant outcomes. Music listening background, residual hearing (i.e., hearing aid use), cognitive factors, and some demographic factors predicted several indices of perceptual accuracy or appraisal of music.

Music Perception of Adolescents Using Electroacoustic Hearing.

BACKGROUND: Preserved residual hearing in adult recipients of short electrode cochlear implants (CIs) contributes to improve perception of speech in noise as well as music. Recently, children and adolescents with sufficient low-frequency hearing but profound loss at higher frequencies enrolled in a FDA trial intended to evaluate the benefit of a short electrode device on the maintenance of residual hearing. This article reports on the perception of several music listening tasks by adolescents using electroacoustic hearing. METHODS: Five adolescents (13-18 yr) with 18-24 months of electroacoustic experience, 73 children (LEC) and adolescents (LEA) who use traditional implants, and 87 children with normal hearing (NH) tested on 3 measures of music perception: Complex Pitch Ranking (PR-C); Melodic Error Detection (MED); Melody Recognition X Information Cue (MRIC). The participants with ipsilateral residual hearing were tested preoperatively at intervals up to 24 months. RESULTS: Pitch ranking scores for the electroacoustic group were significantly better than the LEC and LEA (p < 0.0002 and p = 0.0076, respectively) and were not significantly different from the NH group. On the MED, although scores were more accurate than those of the LEC and LEA groups, they were not significantly better. For the MRIC, the electroacoustic group was significantly better than both LEA and LEC on melody with and without rhythm. NH subjects were significantly better than both LE groups, but not the electroacoustic group. CONCLUSION: Low-frequency information available to electroacoustic users was associated with more accurate perception on three pitch-based music listening tasks. Greater residual hearing during auditory development may also contribute to more "normal" mental representation of musical elements.

Familiar melody recognition by children and adults using cochlear implants and normal hearing children.

This study investigated the effects of age at time of testing, hearing history (age at hearing loss) and hearing status on melody recognition. Four groups were compared: children with normal hearing thresholds, and three groups of cochlear implant recipients (children with prelingual deafness, children with postlingual deafness, adults with postlingual deafness). Participants were tested for recognition of familiar melodies (no lyrics) in a closed-set task. Groups differed in accuracy in the following rank order (most to least accurate): children with normal hearing thresholds, adult cochlear implant recipients, children with postlingual deafness, children with prelingual deafness. Melody recognition scores were correlated with age, variables regarding hearing history, musical background/experience and speech perception scores.

Accuracy of cochlear implant recipients on pitch perception, melody recognition, and speech reception in noise.

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to (a) examine the accuracy of cochlear implant recipients who use different types of devices and signal processing strategies on pitch ranking as a function of size of interval and frequency range and (b) to examine the relations between this pitch perception measure and demographic variables, melody recognition, and speech reception in background noise. DESIGN: One hundred fourteen cochlear implant users and 21 normal-hearing adults were tested on a pitch discrimination task (pitch ranking) that required them to determine direction of pitch change as a function of base frequency and interval size. Three groups were tested: (a) long electrode cochlear implant users (N = 101); (b) short electrode users that received acoustic plus electrical stimulation (A+E) (N = 13); and (c) a normal-hearing (NH) comparison group (N = 21). Pitch ranking was tested at standard frequencies of 131 to 1048 Hz, and the size of the pitch-change intervals ranged from 1 to 4 semitones. A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) was fit to predict pitch ranking and to determine if group differences exist as a function of base frequency and interval size. Overall significance effects were measured with Chi-square tests and individual effects were measured with t-tests. Pitch ranking accuracy was correlated with demographic measures (age at time of testing, length of profound deafness, months of implant use), frequency difference limens, familiar melody recognition, and two measures of speech reception in noise. RESULTS: The long electrode recipients performed significantly poorer on pitch discrimination than the NH and A+E group. The A+E users performed similarly to the NH listeners as a function of interval size in the lower base frequency range, but their pitch discrimination scores deteriorated slightly in the higher frequency range. The long electrode recipients, although less accurate than participants in the NH and A+E groups, tended to perform with greater accuracy within the higher frequency range. There were statistically significant correlations between pitch ranking and familiar melody recognition as well as with pure-tone frequency difference limens at 200 and 400 Hz. CONCLUSIONS: Low-frequency acoustic hearing improves pitch discrimination as compared with traditional, electric-only cochlear implants. These findings have implications for musical tasks such as familiar melody recognition.

Music perception with cochlear implants and residual hearing.

AIM: The aims of this study were to examine the music perception abilities of Cochlear Nucleus Hybrid (acoustic plus electric stimulation) cochlear implant (CI) recipients and to compare their performance with that of normal-hearing (NH) adults and CI recipients using conventional long-electrode (LE) devices (Advanced Bionics: 90K, Clarion, CIIHF; Cochlear Corporation: CI24M, CI22, Contour; Ineraid). Hybrid CI recipients were compared with NH adults and LE CI recipients on recognition of (a) real-world melodies and (b) musical instruments. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We tested 4 Hybrid CI recipients, 17 NH adults, and 39 LE CI recipients on open-set recognition of real-world songs presented with and without lyrics. We also tested 14 Hybrid CI recipients, 21 NH adults, and 174 LE CI recipients on closed-set recognition of 8 musical instruments playing a 7-note phrase. RESULTS: On recognition of real-world songs, both the Hybrid recipients and NH listeners were significantly more accurate (p < 0.0001) than the LE CI recipients in the no lyrics condition, which required reliance on musical cues only. The LE group was significantly less accurate than either the Hybrid or NH group (p < 0.0001) on instrument recognition for low and high frequency ranges. CONCLUSIONS: These results, while preliminary in nature, suggest that preservation of low-frequency acoustic hearing is important for perception of real-world musical stimuli.

Recognition of "real-world" musical excerpts by cochlear implant recipients and normal-hearing adults.

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were (a) to compare recognition of "real-world" music excerpts by postlingually deafened adults using cochlear implants and normal-hearing adults; (b) to compare the performance of cochlear implant recipients using different devices and processing strategies; and (c) to examine the variability among implant recipients in recognition of musical selections in relation to performance on speech perception tests, performance on cognitive tests, and demographic variables. DESIGN: Seventy-nine cochlear implant users and 30 normal-hearing adults were tested on open-set recognition of systematically selected excerpts from musical recordings heard in real life. The recognition accuracy of the two groups was compared for three musical genre: classical, country, and pop. Recognition accuracy was correlated with speech recognition scores, cognitive measures, and demographic measures, including musical background. RESULTS: Cochlear implant recipients were significantly less accurate in recognition of previously familiar (known before hearing loss) musical excerpts than normal-hearing adults (p < 0.001) for all three genre. Implant recipients were most accurate in the recognition of country items and least accurate in the recognition of classical items. There were no significant differences among implant recipients due to implant type (Nucleus, Clarion, or Ineraid), or programming strategy (SPEAK, CIS, or ACE). For cochlear implant recipients, correlations between melody recognition and other measures were moderate to weak in strength; those with statistically significant correlations included age at time of testing (negatively correlated), performance on selected speech perception tests, and the amount of focused music listening following implantation. CONCLUSIONS: Current-day cochlear implants are not effective in transmitting several key structural features (i.e., pitch, harmony, timbral blends) of music essential to open-set recognition of well-known musical selections. Consequently, implant recipients must rely on extracting those musical features most accessible through the implant, such as song lyrics or a characteristic rhythm pattern, to identify the sorts of musical selections heard in everyday life.