Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41992140›Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2026

Preserving music reward in age-related hearing loss through training and adaptation.

Emily Gao, Elaine C Thompson, Claire Wang, Maria Armache, Joon Soo Kim, Celine Arar, Marshall Chasin, Theodore R McRackan, Alexander Chern

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC geriatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Emily GaoDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Elaine C ThompsonDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Claire WangJohns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Maria ArmacheDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Joon Soo KimDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Celine ArarDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Marshall ChasinWestern University, London, ON, Canada.
Theodore R McRackanDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Alexander ChernDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. cherna@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAge-related hearing loss (HL) is highly prevalent, undertreated, and can negatively impact quality of life. Music engagement, which supports cognition and well-being, is affected by HL; however, implications of HL on music reward remain unclear. The authors hypothesized that worsening HL may reduce music perception and engagement, but reward may be preserved through musical training and impaired by increasing age.

methodsThe present study used a convergent mixed-methods approach to examine the cross-sectional associations between HL and music perception, engagement, and reward, and to contextualize these findings through qualitative inquiry. Eighty-five older adults aged 60 years or above participated across the hearing spectrum, defined by pure tone audiometry of the better hearing ear (PTAB) for non-implanted individuals (normal hearing, unaided HL, hearing aid users) and speech recognition scores for cochlear implant (CI) individuals. Quantitative analyses were restricted to non-implanted participants (N = 80); CI users (N = 5) were excluded due to their distinct auditory and perceptual profiles. Quantitative measures included validated cross-sectional outcomes such as the Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index (GMSI) and Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire (BMRQ) focused on musical training, perception, engagement, and reward, and were analyzed using multivariate linear regression. A purposive subset (N = 18) including CI users completed qualitative interviews analyzed using an abductive approach. Quantitative and qualitative findings were integrated to generate overarching meta-inferences.

resultsWorsening HL severity was associated with reduced music perception and listening frequency, but not with active music participation nor overall music reward. However, greater musical training predicted improved music perception, engagement, listening frequency, and reward. Increased age had a small, albeit non-significant, effect on music engagement and reward. Qualitative interviews echoed these findings—despite perceptual challenges constraining engagement, music remained enjoyable for most participants, primarily through emotion evocation (e.g., nostalgia).

conclusionsAlthough greater age-related HL was associated with reduced music perception and engagement, music reward may be preserved through factors like musical training and adaptive strategies, underscoring the importance of personalized counseling and music-based aural rehabilitation.

Indexed as

Adaptation, PhysiologicalAdaptation, PsychologicalMusicPresbycusisRewardAgedAged, 80 and overAgingAuditory AcuityAuditory PerceptionCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedAge-related hearing lossAural rehabilitationMusic appreciationMusic engagementMusic perceptionMusic reward

Identifiers

PMID41992140
PMCPMC13214286

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.