(825) Comparing Music Perception, Engagement, and Reward Across Musicians and Non-Musicians with Hearing Loss

Introduction: Engaging with music is associated with improved quality of life and overall health. We examined music perception, engagement, and reward among musicians and non-musicians with hearing loss (HL).

Methods: Adults with unaided and aided HL (≥18 years) recruited in otolaryngology clinics and support groups completed a cross-sectional study (12/2024–1/2026), including the validated Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index (GMSI), Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire (BMRQ), and music engagement items. Binary ANCOVA models tested associations between music-related outcomes and self-reported musician status, adjusting for HL severity (pure tone audiometry of the better hearing ear [PTAB]), age, gender, race, and education.

Results: Among 116 participants (26 unaided HL, 90 aided HL; mean age 64.5 years; 57.8% female), self-identified musicians demonstrated higher music perception than non-musicians (GMSI perceptual abilities b=5.5, 95% CI 1.8–9.1; p=0.004). Musician status was also associated with ~2 additional days of music participation per week (b=84.1 days per year, 95% CI 38.2–130.0; p< 0.001) and higher musical reward (BMRQ b=7.6, 95% CI 2.2–12.9; p=0.006) but not music listening frequency. Greater hearing severity was associated with lower music perception (GMSI perceptual abilities b=-2.9 per 20 dB HL; 95% CI -4.6–1.2; p=0.001), and older age was associated with lower musical reward (BMRQ b=-2.8 per decade; 95% CI -4.6–-0.9; p=0.005).

Conclusions: In adults with HL, self-identified musician status was associated with better music perception, greater active music participation, and higher musical reward, independent of HL severity. These findings support further study of purposeful musical training as a potentially modifiable factor related to music enjoyment for individuals with HL.