Hearing Beyond Words: Advancements in Music Perception and Enjoyment for the Hearing-Impaired Population

Dear Colleagues,

Music perception plays a fundamental role in social connection, cultural engagement, and personal well-being. For the hearing-impaired population, music appreciation is often hindered by various degrees of hearing loss, limiting their overall quality of life. While advancements in hearing technologies, including hearing aids and cochlear implants (CIs), have significantly improved speech perception, the ability to perceive and enjoy music remains a challenge. This underscores the importance of targeted auditory rehabilitation strategies that focus on enhancing non-verbal auditory skills, particularly music perception. Among hearing-impaired individuals, those with cochlear implants face specific challenges due to the limitations of current CI technology in encoding the fine spectral and temporal details of music. Recent evidence highlights the potential of auditory music training (AMT) programs, both in-person and home-based, in improving music perception and enjoyment in CI users. Studies have demonstrated that structured music rehabilitation can lead to notable improvements in quality of life and subjective auditory satisfaction.

This Special Issue seeks to provide a platform for innovative research and multidisciplinary perspectives on advancing music perception and enjoyment in the hearing-impaired population. We encourage submissions on topics including but not limited to novel hearing prosthesis technologies focused on music perception, AMT methodologies including tele-rehabilitation applications, patient-reported outcome measures, and the development of standardized protocols. Contributions that explore the intersection of technology, audiology, and music rehabilitation are particularly welcome. The ultimate goal of this Special Issue is to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and inspire future research aimed at improving the holistic auditory experience for hearing-impaired individuals.

Dr. Andrea Frosolini
Dr. Giorgos Dritsakis
Guest Editors

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