Musical Hallucinations Research Articles

A brain basis for musical hallucinations

The physiological basis for musical hallucinations (MH) is not understood. One obstacle to understanding has been the lack of a method to manipulate the intensity of hallucination during the course of experiment. Residual inhibition, transient suppression of a phantom percept after the offset of a masking stimulus, has been used in the study of tinnitus. We report here a human subject whose MH were residually inhibited by short periods of music. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) allowed us to examine variation in the underlying oscillatory brain activity in different states. Source-space analysis capable of single-subject inference defined left-lateralised power increases, associated with stronger hallucinations, in the gamma band in left anterior superior temporal gyrus, and in the beta band in motor cortex and posteromedial cortex. The data indicate that these areas form a crucial network in the generation of MH, and are consistent with a model in which MH are generated by persistent reciprocal communication in a predictive coding hierarchy.

The musical hallucinations: A particular pathology impacting on patients’ quality of life

An 83-year-old female patient consulted the emergency room because of the brutal apparition of hearing hallucinations. In her medical history, we noted mainly a bilateral deafness. She was hearing the French national hymn ‘‘La Marseillaise’’ on a loop, and it only stopped when listening to the television. Clinical examinations did not note abnormalities, except for bilateral presbyacousia confirmed by an ENT exam. The biological assessment, psychometric evaluation, electroencephalogram, cerebral scanner and MRI were normal. The psychiatric evaluation found no disease. During the follow-up, treatments at risk of iatrogenia, were gradually stopped (Bromazepam, Acebutolol and Paroxetin) but unsuccessfully. After a 3-month evolution without medication, she had learnt to manage her musical hallucinations, which disappeared when she concentrated on another activity containing a hearing stimulation. They also disappeared during her sleep. She said that

The mind with a radio of its own: a case report and review of the literature on the treatment of musical hallucinations

Musical hallucinations (MH) have been labeled Oliver Sacks syndrome, and in the majority of cases, they occur in the context of a hearing loss. In these instances, they have been described as auditory Charles Bonnet syndrome because they are thought to represent a cortical release phenomenon. Patients with MH tend to have intact reality testing, and as such, the condition may also be described as musical hallucinosis. The temporal course of MH is variable, but given that they may improve or remit with time, education on their benign nature is often sufficient. MH also may improve when hearing loss is reversed. The use of ambient noise potentially ameliorates mild to moderate MH; however, where this is insufficient, somatic treatments may be considered. Case reports have documented successful use of low-dose antiepileptics, atypical antipsychotics and donepezil. We present a case of a 52-year-old man who received only partial relief from serial treatment with several psychotropic agents. He developed major depression with suicidal ideation in the context of persistent, intrusive MH that were refractory to several medication trials, and whereas a course of electroconvulsive therapy led to remission of depressive and suicidal symptoms, it provided only transient relief of his MH. In this article, we also provide a review of the literature on the neurobiology and treatment of MH.

Musical hallucinations: a case report

The Sri Lanka Journal of Psychiatry (SLJP) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal published bi annually by the Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists.The Journal publishes original papers, brief reports including case reports and commentaries relevant to psychiatry and allied sciences. The Sri Lanka Journal of Psychiatry is committed to maintaining and conforming to the editorial and ethical standards recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.Cover“Perseverance”. These tenacious fishermen in Mannar continue their livelihood despite numerous difficulties. L. N. P. Samarasinghe, Acting Consultant Psychiatrist, Base Hospital Nikaweratiya, Sri Lanka.

Musical hallucinations in elderly patients: A brief report

Musical hallucinations in elderly patients: A brief report

Musical Hallucinations Successfully Treated with Antipsychotic Medications: Three Case Reports

Many people have had the experience of a jingle or ditty that they are unable to get out of their head. For some, these perceptions worsen in intensity to become a hallucination. Musical hallucinations occur in individuals with and without mental illness. Compared with a song stuck in one’s head, they are distracting, less transient, and more life-like. The many case reports of musical hallucinations describe fragments of songs to entire musical scores, often melodies heard in childhood, particularly hymns and carols. The experience is ultimately disagreeable, ranges in severity, and can result in insomnia, paranoia, and social withdrawal. The exact prevalence of this condition is unknown, though estimates as high as 2.5% have been reported in older patients with hearing impairment. Both central and peripheral neurological dysfunction have been implicated as potential causes of musical hallucinations, though in most cases the etiology is likely multifactorial. Case reports about musical hallucinations comment on the relative lack of effectiveness of antipsychotics. We present three cases of musical hallucinations, all in patients with comorbid mental disorders, who experienced psychological distress or loss of reality testing as the hallucinations worsened. In all cases, the hallucinations completely resolved with antipsychotic treatment. Presentation of these cases was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Tinnitus and musical hallucinations are positive not negative symptoms

An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Tinnitus and musical hallucinations are positive not negative symptoms

Tinnitus and musical hallucinations are positive not negative symptoms

Musical Hallucinations Associated With Pontine Lacunar Lesions

Three elderly patients experienced musical hallucinations (MH) in the context of hearing loss. In at least two of the cases, the onset was sudden. All three patients had pontine T2/FLAIR hyperintense foci on MR scan after the onset of the MH.

Musical Hallucinations and Forgotten Tunes – Case Report and Brief Literature Review

Musical hallucinations represent a specific form of auditory hallucinations whereby patients experience formed music without an external source. We describe a 60-year-old woman with history of bilateral hearing impairment and tinnitus who experienced both recognizable and non-recognizable songs. Curiously, she was able to reproduce non-recognizable songs in a way that could be recognized by others. This phenomenon is in line with current understanding that musical hallucinations represent abnormal activity in the auditory associative cortices, raising intriguing questions regarding memory, forgetting, and access to lost memories.

Functional Auditory Hallucinations in a Case of Serotonin Syndrome

Functional Auditory Hallucinations in a Case of Serotonin Syndrome

Prevalence of Musical Hallucinations in Patients Referred for Audiometric Testing

To assess the prevalence of musical hallucinations in patients referred for audiometric testing and to analyze associations with age, sex, degree of hearing loss, asymmetrical hearing loss, and tinnitus. Patients referred for audiometric testing underwent a semi-structured interview on tinnitus and musical hallucinations. Out of 194 patients, most of whom had mild to moderate hearing loss, seven (3.6%) had musical hallucinations. Significant associations were found with female sex and predominant left-sided hearing impairment, but not with age, severity of hearing loss, or tinnitus. This study offers no evidence that age is a risk factor. Musical hallucinations seem to be prevalent in women with predominant left-sided hearing impairment.

Alucinaciones auditivas musicales secundarias al uso de tramadol: a propósito de un caso

Musical auditory hallucinations are a rare psychopathological phenomenon, occurring primarily in psychiatric, neurological and otological patients. The first cases of musical hallucinations were described by Baillarger and Coleman in 1846 and 1849 respectively. We describe the case of a 69 year old woman with no history of psychiatric psychosis presents a picture of musical hallucinations and acute onset is associated with tramadol. We discuss the importance of considering drugs as etiological factors in the elderly and therefore avoiding unnecessary treatment and side effects accumulation in this population.

TWO INTERESTING CASES OF NMDAR ENCEPHALITIS AND A TYPICAL BUT SERONEGATIVE CASE WITH OVARIAN TERATOMA

Autoantibodies against the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) have been associated with a complex encephalitis syndrome, which was first described in a case series of 12 young women presenting with a consistent...

The qEEG characteristics following long-term treatment with atomoxetine

Tinnitus, the perception of noise in the absence of an external auditory stimulus, is common, frequently distressing and often intractable. It is associated with a number of conditions including deafness but may arise spontaneously. Brain imaging studies indicate increased neuronal excitability and decreased density of benzodiazepine receptors in temporal (auditory) cortex but the source and mechanism of such changes are unknown. Various electroencephalographic (EEG) abnormalities involving temporal lobe and other brain areas have been described but recordings have been limited to standard EEG wave bands up to frequencies of 22 Hz. This clinical study of otherwise healthy patients with intractable unilateral tinnitus, using quantitative EEG power spectral mapping (QEEG), identified discrete localised unilateral foci of high frequency activity in the gamma range (>40–80 Hz) over the auditory cortex in eight patients experiencing tinnitus during recording. These high frequency “hot spots” were not present in 25 subjects without tinnitus. The results suggest that further EEG investigations should include recordings in the gamma frequency range since such high frequency oscillations are believed to be necessary for perception. Identification of “hot spots” in tinnitus patients would provide a means for monitoring the effects of new treatments. These findings may also provide a model for exploration of more complex phenomena such as verbal and musical hallucinations.

Successful Treatment of Musical Hallucinations With the Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor Donepezil

Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Georg-August University Goettingen, Germany [email protected] Department of Neurology Georg-August University Goettingen, Germany Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Georg-August University Goettingen, Germany

Musical hallucination following whiplash injury: case report and literature review

A musical hallucination is defined as a form of auditory hallucination characterised by the perception of music in the absence of external acoustic stimuli. It is infrequently cited in the literature, although population studies suggest a greater prevalence. The aetiology of this unusual disorder remains unclear. A 70-year-old man with acquired hearing loss suffered a whiplash injury in a low-speed road traffic accident, and subsequently presented with bilateral 'tinnitus.' On closer questioning, he described hearing orchestral music. There was no evidence of psychosis, delirium or intoxication, and the patient was managed expectantly. This patient represents the first published case of musical hallucination precipitated by whiplash injury. We explore the possible pathophysiological underpinnings of musical hallucination and highlight the need for a greater awareness of this disorder. A management strategy is suggested.

Musical Hallucinations: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Musical Hallucinations: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Neurofunctional assessment in a stroke patient with musical hallucinations

We reported a case of an elderly female patient affected by musical hallucinations (MHs) as the unique symptom of a right temporal ischemic stroke. A functional magnetic resonance imaging examination was performed in the patient and in five age- and sex-matched normal controls (NC) to detect the complex neural substrate subserving MHs in such a context. Although an activation pattern involving the primary auditory cortex and the temporal associative areas bilaterally was found in the patient and NC, a significant increased activation mostly located in right temporal cortex (in the ischemic area), was observed in the patient. Further functional neuroimaging studies should be performed to detect the complex neural pathways underlying MHs and to find out differences between these hallucinations and real music perception.

P-405 - Auditory charles bonnet syndrome (ACBS)

Introduction Auditory hallucinations in deaf people are known since the XIX century. However, research in this area is scarce. Objectives Auditory hallucinations can be caused by alterations in receptors, stimulus carrying routes or cerebral centres. Therefore, they can take place in persons without mental illness. Methods Bibliographical review in literature and pub med using as key words: “Auditory hallucinations, Auditory deficit, ACBS” Results - There is always chronic hearing loss caused by an auditory injury. - Higher prevalence in females with acute or gradual onset. - Usually unilateral. - Most common phenomena are musical hallucinations. - Not associated with other types of hallucinations. - Can be modified by attention and will. - It is a hallucinosis. - Not accompanied by disturbances of consciousness, memory or judgment. - Treatment of hearing impairment leads to healing. Results are unsatisfactory with psychotropic drugs. Psychoeducation may lead to improvements. Conclusions The existence of auditory hallucinations with consciousness of unreality rules out an organic pathology. It is important to assess hearing, because an entity has been defined by musical auditory hallucinations with unreality conscious and with preserved judgment, memory and consciousness, in patients with acquired hearing loss, mainly women and elderly, called by many professionals ACBS. Awareness of this entity by specialists in otolaryngology and psychiatry is essential.