Music to Your Ears: A Case of Idiopathic Musical Hallucinosis

Abstract

Musical hallucinosis is a disease with a poorly understood pathophysiology, in which hearing loss and mood disorders can be triggering factors. Although there is no consensual approach, psychoeducation plays a central role.
We present the clinical case of an 84-year-old woman with hearing loss and depressive disorder reactive to her husband’s role as a caregiver. Four days after the introduction of antidepressant medication she developed auditory musical hallucinosis, where she listened to songs from her childhood continuously throughout the day. These complaints remained despite the interruption of the antidepressant and the prescription of antipsychotics.
After screening for organic pathologies, psychoeducation was initiated, focusing on increasing social activity and auditory stimuli and optimizing co-morbid pathologies. The patient had a favorable evolution and almost complete resolution of the complaints.