Neurofunctional assessment in a stroke patient with musical hallucinations

Neurocase. 2012;18(6):514-20. doi: 10.1080/13554794.2011.633530. Epub 2012 Jan 6.

Abstract

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.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Auditory Pathways / pathology
  • Auditory Pathways / physiopathology
  • Auditory Perception / physiology
  • Brain Infarction / complications*
  • Brain Infarction / pathology
  • Brain Infarction / physiopathology
  • Brain Infarction / psychology
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Female
  • Functional Laterality
  • Functional Neuroimaging
  • Hallucinations / complications*
  • Hallucinations / pathology
  • Hallucinations / psychology
  • Humans
  • Matched-Pair Analysis
  • Music / psychology*
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Reference Values
  • Stroke / complications
  • Stroke / pathology
  • Stroke / psychology*
  • Temporal Lobe / pathology*
  • Temporal Lobe / physiopathology