Music class may benefit kids with cochlear implants

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Reuters UK - March 10, 2010

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Music class may benefit kids with cochlear implants

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Music class may help improve certain types of

sound perception in deaf children who have cochlear implants, a new study

hints.

Cochlear implants are small electronic devices that can give a sense of

sound to people who are deaf or severely hard-of-hearing, helping them to

understand speech and other sounds in their environment. The implants work

by bypassing the damaged portions of the inner ear and directly stimulating

the auditory nerve.

Coupled with intensive post-implantation therapy, the implants can also help

young deaf children learn to speak and understand language.

However, it is difficult for these children to enjoy music, according to the

researchers on the new study, led by Dr. Kuang-Chao Chen of Cheng

Hsin General Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan.

For their study, the researchers assessed 27 children with cochlear implants

for their ability to discern musical pitch -- how high or low a musical note

is. Thirteen of the children had attended standard music classes at the

Yamaha Music School, which has centers around the world.

Overall, Chen's team found, the longer the children had taken music classes,

the better their pitch perception.

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Complete article: http://tinyurl.com/yaxrkjm