Effects of Music Perception on Language Development in Children With Cochlear Implants: A Systematic Review.

Abstract

Children with cochlear implants (CIs) have difficulties developing overall language skills due to a lack of neurological adjustment for multimodality inputs. Fortunately, music perception might play a role in strengthening the connection between auditory and motor perception, as language and music have shared neural mechanisms in the left hemisphere of the brain. This review synthesized the recently peer-reviewed studies on the role of music perception in language development for children with CIs by containing the search on pertinent keywords in eight databases following systematic inclusion rubrics. A total of 17 most relevant studies published between 2014 and 2025 were identified. We analyzed the studies focusing on the special role of music perception linked to improved speech perception in children with CIs and the types of musical training that have been found to be effective in improving speech perception and/or spoken language in children with CIs. We analyzed them by the demographics of the participants, music training methods, and language assessment tools, etc. for language development in children with CIs. We concluded the following two major findings: (1) A strong correlation exists between music perception and language development, especially in children with CIs, and (2) music training can potentially bridge the gap in language performance between children with CIs and those with normal hearing by facilitating crossmodal neuroplasticity. The findings of this synthesis suggest that children with CIs may benefit from music perception in early childhood to strengthen their neuroplasticity through visual-motor connectivity through music. The findings of our systematic review highlight the unique role of music perception in bridging language gaps for children with CIs.