A survey on music listening by cochlear implant users in Japan

We surveyed to explore how Japanese cochlear implant users perceive and enjoy music, as well as factors related to their music enjoyment. The survey gathered responses from 102 participants, showing that many continue to enjoy music after getting the implant and are keen on enjoying it even more. A time series analysis revealed that enjoyment of music decreased with hearing level, but after implantation, it improved to the same level as before the hearing loss. Additionally, there was a tendency for lower ratings of sound quality and music listening with increasing age, but participants with musical experience perceived music better than those without it. The study also suggested that practicing listening to music with cochlear implants may improve music perception. However, there were significant individual differences in the results. Especially after implantation, some people enjoyed music, and others did not. The findings indicate that future research should focus on enhancing subjective enjoyment of music.