A German study of cochlear implant recipients shows the recipients experience a significant improvement in their quality of life after the implant: better speech recognition, sound perception, social interaction, and mental health.

Musicians and music listeners with cochear implants are also benefitting from a University of Washington computerized test, Clinical Assessment of Music Perception (CAMP). It strips down music to three basic components–pitch, timbre, and melody–and systematically assesses how well users perceive each. Doctors can then determine the optimal software and training.