Paediatric otitis media with effusion is connected to deficits in music perception.

Purpose: This study tested the hypothesis that children with otitis media with effusion (OME) attending a primary school are at risk of impairment of their musical skills. OME is characterized as an inflammation with accumulation of secretion in the tympanic cavity, leading to conductive hearing loss.

Method: Perception of music in children is assessed using the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Music Abilities (MBEMA).