Investigation of the Effect of Pediatric Serous Otitis Media on Music Perception and Auditory Processing

Abstract Background: Otitis media (OM) with effusion is a common early childhood condition. While the auditory nervous system develops, exposure to inconsistent auditory stimuli can affect sound perception. It is also known that musical perception may be affected, as well as auditory processing, by serous OM (SOM). Aims and Objectives: Our study aimed to evaluate the musical perception and auditory processing of children with normal hearing who had a history of SOM in early childhood. Materials and Methods: Children aged 8–13 years with ( n = 20) and without ( n = 22) a history of SOM in early childhood who were determined to have normal hearing by audiological tests were included. The Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Musical Abilities (MBEMA) was used to assess their musical perception; the frequency pattern test (FPT), the duration pattern test (DPT), and the gap detection (GD) were applied to evaluate their temporal processing skills. The Turkish version of the Children’s Auditory Performance Scale (CHAPS) was used for subjective evaluations. Results: A statistically significant difference between the groups was found in the scores of the melody subtest of the MBEMA ( P = 0.028), in FPT ( P = 0.007), in DPT ( P = 0.038), and in CHAPS scores ( P = 0.028), but no statistically significant difference was noted between GD values ( P > 0.05). A moderate (0.324) positive correlation was found between the melody test and the FPT. A moderate (0.316) positive correlation was found between the FPT and CHAPS results. Conclusion: OM, common in early childhood, may negatively affect music perception and auditory processing skills.