[Musical hallucinations: perpetual music].

[Musical hallucinations: perpetual music].

Rev Neurol. 2014 Mar 1;58(5):207-12

Authors: Zabalza-Estevez RJ

INTRODUCTION. Musical hallucinations are a kind of auditory hallucination that are prevalent among the non-psychiatric population, but which have rarely been reported in the neurological literature. They occur most frequently in the elderly, in females and when there is a loss of hearing, but their pathophysiology has still to be unravelled. CASE REPORTS. We report here six cases (five females and one male) of musical hallucinations diagnosed in a general neurology clinic over a time-span of five years. In five cases there was also concurrent hypoacusis, to a greater or lesser extent, and one had been triggered by pentoxifylline. In most instances, the musical content of the hallucinations had its origins in music experienced in childhood and early youth. In the cases submitted to pharmacological treatment, the response was poor. Yet, after explaining to the patients that the condition was benign and had no connection with a psychotic pathology, the degree of acceptance of the symptoms was good. CONCLUSIONS. Musical hallucinations are a little-known pathology lying on the borderline between neurology, otorhinolaryngology and psychiatry which are often wrongly linked to mental disease. It is essential to explain to patients and relatives that these symptoms are not necessarily of a psychiatric nature, and to be aware of the potential capacity of some commonly used drugs to generate them.

24570359
Read More

Active music therapy improves cognition and behaviour in chronic vascular encephalopathy: A case report.

Active music therapy improves cognition and behaviour in chronic vascular encephalopathy: A case report.

Complement Ther Med. 2014 Feb;22(1):57-62

Authors: Giovagnoli AR, Oliveri S, Schifano L, Raglio A

OBJECTIVES: This study describes the effects of active music therapy (AMT) on cognition and behaviour in chronic vascular encephalopathy.
DESIGN: A single case study investigated different cognitive and psycho-behavioural changes after AMT.
SETTING: An adult patient with memory, attention, and verbal fluency deficits associated with Vascular Cognitive Impairment-No Dementia (VCI-ND) was treated.
INTERVENTION: A four-months AMT course was based on creative and interactive music playing. Sixteen sessions were conducted simultaneously to the pharmacological therapy.
MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Cognitive performances, mood, interpersonal interactions, and perceived abilities were assessed using standardized neuropsychological and psycho-behavioural measurements.
RESULTS: At baseline, the patient reported a tendency to feel tense, nervous, and angry and difficulties in memory and visuospatial performances, frequently accompanied by attention drops. The social network was a habitual component of the patient's life, but not a source of sharing of personal experiences, safety or comfort. Neuropsychological tests showed deficits in object and figure naming, verbal fluency, short and long-term verbal memory, short-term spatial memory, selective attention, and visuomotor coordination. After AMT, the cognitive profile significantly improved in attention, visuomotor coordination, and verbal and spatial memory. Such positive changes were confirmed at the three-months follow-up. An increase of the interpersonal interactions and consistent reduction of anxiety were also observed.
CONCLUSIONS: In selected patients with VCI-ND, a well-structured AMT intervention added to standard therapy may contribute in determining a stable improvement of cognitive and psycho-behavioural aspects. Controlled studies are needed to confirm these promising results.

24559817
Read More

Selective preservation of the beat in apperceptive music agnosia: A case study.

Selective preservation of the beat in apperceptive music agnosia: A case study.

Cortex. 2014 Jan 22;53C:27-33

Authors: Baird AD, Walker DG, Biggs V, Robinson GA

INTRODUCTION: Music perception involves processing of melodic, temporal and emotional dimensions that have been found to dissociate in healthy individuals and after brain injury. Two components of the temporal dimension have been distinguished, namely rhythm and metre. We describe an 18 year old male musician 'JM' who showed apperceptive music agnosia with selectively preserved metre perception, and impaired recognition of sad and peaceful music relative to age and music experience matched controls after resection of a right temporoparietal tumour.
METHOD: Two months post-surgery JM underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation including assessment of his music perception abilities using the Montreal Battery for Evaluation of Amusia (MBEA, Peretz, Champod, & Hyde, 2003). He also completed several experimental tasks to explore his ability to recognise famous songs and melodies, emotions portrayed by music and a broader range of environmental sounds. Five age-, gender-, education- and musical experienced-matched controls were administered the same experimental tasks.
RESULTS: JM showed selective preservation of metre perception, with impaired performances compared to controls and scoring below the 5% cut-off on all MBEA subtests, except for the metric condition. He could identify his favourite songs and environmental sounds. He showed impaired recognition of sad and peaceful emotions portrayed in music relative to controls but intact ability to identify happy and scary music.
CONCLUSION: This case study contributes to the scarce literature documenting a dissociation between rhythmic and metric processing, and the rare observation of selectively preserved metric interpretation in the context of apperceptive music agnosia. It supports the notion that the anterior portion of the superior temporal gyrus (STG) plays a role in metric processing and provides the novel observation that selectively preserved metre is sufficient to identify happy and scary, but not sad or peaceful emotions portrayed in music.

24561388
Read More

Brain correlates of music-evoked emotions.

Brain correlates of music-evoked emotions.

Nat Rev Neurosci. 2014 Feb 20;15(3):170-180

Authors: Koelsch S

Music is a universal feature of human societies, partly owing to its power to evoke strong emotions and influence moods. During the past decade, the investigation of the neural correlates of music-evoked emotions has been invaluable for the understanding of human emotion. Functional neuroimaging studies on music and emotion show that music can modulate activity in brain structures that are known to be crucially involved in emotion, such as the amygdala, nucleus accumbens, hypothalamus, hippocampus, insula, cingulate cortex and orbitofrontal cortex. The potential of music to modulate activity in these structures has important implications for the use of music in the treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders.

24552785
Read More

Fifteen-minute music intervention reduces pre-radiotherapy anxiety in oncology patients.

Fifteen-minute music intervention reduces pre-radiotherapy anxiety in oncology patients.

Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2013 Aug;17(4):436-41

Authors: Chen LC, Wang TF, Shih YN, Wu LJ

PURPOSE: Oncology patients may respond to radiation treatment with anxiety expressed as stress, fear, depression, and frustration. This study aimed to investigate effects of music intervention on reducing pre-radiotherapy anxiety in oncology patients.
METHODS: Quasi-experimental study with purposeful sampling was conducted in the Department of Radiation Oncology, at Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Subjects were assigned into a music group (n = 100) receiving 15 min of music therapy prior to radiation and a control group (n = 100) receiving 15 min rest prior to radiation. Both groups were evaluated for pre- and post-test anxiety using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Physiological indicators of anxiety were measured pre- and post-test.
RESULTS: Baseline State/Trait scores and vital signs were comparable between groups (P > 0.05). Mean change in pre- and post-test State/Trait scores showed significant decreases from baseline to post-test in both groups (all P < 0.05). A statistically significant difference was observed between music therapy and control groups in mean change of State anxiety scores (mean decreases 7.19 and 1.04, respectively; P < 0.001) and Trait anxiety scores (mean decreases 2.77 and 1.13, respectively; P = 0.036). In vital signs, both groups had significant decreases in pre- and post-test heart rate and respiration rate (P < 0.05). A statistically significant difference in mean change of systolic pressure was found between music and control groups (-5.69 ± 0.41 mmHg vs. -0.67 ± 1.29 mmHg, respectively; P = 0.009).
CONCLUSIONS: Music therapy decreased State anxiety levels, Trait anxiety levels and systolic blood pressure in oncology patients who received the intervention prior to radiotherapy.

23218591
Read More

Music Reduces Panic: an Initial Study of Listening to Preferred Music Improve Male Patient Discomfort and Anxiety during Flexible Cystoscopy.

Music Reduces Panic: an Initial Study of Listening to Preferred Music Improve Male Patient Discomfort and Anxiety during Flexible Cystoscopy.

J Endourol. 2014 Feb 18;

Authors: Zhang Z, Wang X, Xu C, Zhang C, Cao Z, Xu W, Wei R, Sun Y

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of listening to preferred music on releasing male patients' pain and anxiety during flexible cystoscopy. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 124 male patients were admitted to our hospital for flexile cystoscopy by a single urologist between Jan 2013 and Sep 2013 and randomized to 2 equal groups. Group 2 included 62 patients who could select and listen to their preferred music during flexible cystoscopy. Group 1 included 62 patients who were unable to listen to the music. All patients were adminstrated the same amount of lidocaine(10mL) for 3 min for local anaesthesia before flexible cystoscopy. A VAS (visual analog pain scale) ranging from 0 to 10 was applicated to assess patients' pain feeling after the cystoscopy procedure. Anxiety levels were caculated according to the State Instrument of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory（STAI-S）, and the pulse rate were recorded five minutes before and immediately after the procedure. The duration of the procedure of each group were also analysed. RESULTS Statistically significant differences were detected between group1 and group2 in the mean pain score on VAS（2.53±1.34 VS 1.63±1.09, p= 0.002, Mann- Whitney U test），mean postprocedural State Anxiety Inventory pain score（39.4±6.5 VS 34.5±5.8）and postprocedural pulse rate（79.8±5.5 VS 76.0±7.3）(p < 0.001 for both, T test). Patients who listened to their preferred music experienced less discomfort and lower anxiety at cystoscopy. Patient age, duration of the procedure, preprocedural STAI-S and preprocedural pulse rate of each group were comparable. CONCLUSION Listening to preferred music during flexible cystoscopy is an easy way to improves male patients' comfort and reduce their anxiety. It could be recommended for male patients.

24548148
Read More

Music-assisted bathing: making shower time easier for people with dementia.

Music-assisted bathing: making shower time easier for people with dementia.

J Gerontol Nurs. 2014 Feb;40(2):9-13

Authors: Ray KD, Fitzsimmons S

It is estimated that 90% of nursing home residents need assistance with bathing. The purpose of this article is to describe a music-assisted care technique that can be used by caregivers when bathing nursing home residents with dementia. Research suggests that music has many therapeutic benefits for people with dementia. Using music to soothe anxiety can be an effective intervention to assist with lessening of agitation during activities of daily living, especially bathing. This article will provide nursing and direct care staff tools to successfully conduct the music-assisted bathing protocol. Consideration for choosing appropriate music for bathing, the creation of individualized personalized playlists, and acknowledgement of desired outcomes are presented. Incorporating music-assisted bathing may address neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia by lessening agitation and improving mood, which in turn can increase job satisfaction. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 40(2), 9-13.].

24550123
Read More