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Musical ear syndrome in adult cochlear implant patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2013

W-K Low ,
C A Tham ,
V-D D'Souza  and
S-W Teng
W-K Low*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
C A Tham
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
V-D D'Souza
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
S-W Teng
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Wong-Kein Low, Visiting Consultant, Department of Otolaryngology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, 169608 Fax: +65 62262079 E-mail: low.wong.kein@gmail.com
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Abstract

Objective:

Except for a single case report, musical ear syndrome in cochlear implantees has not been studied. We aimed to study the prevalence and nature of musical ear syndrome among adult cochlear implant patients, as well as the effect on their emotional well-being.

Study design, patients and intervention:

A cross-sectional survey of patients aged 18 years and above who had received cochlear implants for profound hearing loss between 1997 and 2010.

Results:

Of the 82 patients studied, 18 (22 per cent) were found to have experienced musical ear syndrome. Seven and 11 patients had musical ear syndrome prior to and after cochlear implantation, respectively. The character of musical ear syndrome symptoms was described as instrumental music (n = 2), singing (6) or both (10). Fourteen patients reported an adverse emotional effect, with three expressing ‘intolerance’.

Conclusions:

In this study, 22 per cent of cochlear implantees experienced musical ear syndrome. These symptoms affected patients' emotional state, but most coped well. Musical ear syndrome can occur prior to and after cochlear implantation.

Keywords

MusicHallucinationsCochlear ImplantsHearing LossDeafness
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 127 , Issue 9 , September 2013 , pp. 854 - 858
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2013 

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