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CASE STUDY
PERCEPTION OF MUSICAL HARMONY: A CASE STUDY OF ONE COCHLEAR IMPLANT USER AND TWO NORMAL-HEARING SUBJECTS
1
Implant and Auditory Perception Department, World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Warsaw/Kajetany, Poland
2
Teleaudiology and Hearing Screening Department, World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Warsaw/Kajetany, Poland
3
Institute of Sensory Organs, Kajetany, Poland
4
Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Surgery Clinic, World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Warsaw/Kajetany, Poland
A - Research concept and design; B - Collection and/or assembly of data; C - Data analysis and interpretation; D - Writing the article; E - Critical revision of the article; F - Final approval of article;
Submission date: 2025-08-01
Final revision date: 2025-10-31
Acceptance date: 2025-11-07
Online publication date: 2025-12-05
Publication date: 2025-12-05
Corresponding author
Anna Ratuszniak
Implant and Auditory Perception Department, World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Mokra 17, Nadarzyn, 05-830, Kajetany, Poland
Implant and Auditory Perception Department, World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Mokra 17, Nadarzyn, 05-830, Kajetany, Poland
J Hear Sci 2025;15(3):55-61
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
The perception of musical intervals is a fundamental component of melody and harmony. Intervals can be presented melodically (successive tones) or harmonically (simultaneous tones), with the latter playing a critical role in the perception of consonance and chordal structure. In the chromatic scale, intervals are measured in semitones, and their perceived pleasantness (i.e., consonance or dissonance) is determined by the frequency ratio between them. Cochlear implant (CI) users are likely to perceive harmonic intervals differently from normal-hearing individuals due to technological limitations in transmitting the spectral and temporal complexity of musical sounds. Factors affecting perception of sounds in CI users include placement of the electrode array inside the cochlea and spread of excitation along the auditory nerve.
Case report:
To explore differences in how harmonic intervals are perceived, this study presents three case studies of the ranked pleasantness of consonance and dissonance by (1) a normal-hearing individual without musical training; (2) a normal-hearing musician; and (3) a cochlear implant user.
Conclusions:
The findings provide a foundation for future investigations into interval perception and have implications for auditory rehabilitation and music-based therapy.
The perception of musical intervals is a fundamental component of melody and harmony. Intervals can be presented melodically (successive tones) or harmonically (simultaneous tones), with the latter playing a critical role in the perception of consonance and chordal structure. In the chromatic scale, intervals are measured in semitones, and their perceived pleasantness (i.e., consonance or dissonance) is determined by the frequency ratio between them. Cochlear implant (CI) users are likely to perceive harmonic intervals differently from normal-hearing individuals due to technological limitations in transmitting the spectral and temporal complexity of musical sounds. Factors affecting perception of sounds in CI users include placement of the electrode array inside the cochlea and spread of excitation along the auditory nerve.
Case report:
To explore differences in how harmonic intervals are perceived, this study presents three case studies of the ranked pleasantness of consonance and dissonance by (1) a normal-hearing individual without musical training; (2) a normal-hearing musician; and (3) a cochlear implant user.
Conclusions:
The findings provide a foundation for future investigations into interval perception and have implications for auditory rehabilitation and music-based therapy.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank Andrew Bell for his valuable comments on an earlier version of this manuscript.
FUNDING
This work was carried out as part of the research project No. 2024/ABM/03/KPO/KPOD.07.07-IW.07-0221/24-00, funded by the Medical Research Agency of Poland.
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