IntroductionMusical obsessions consist of intrusive recollections of music fragments that are experienced as unwanted. Otosclerosis is caused by an abnormal bone homeostasis of the otic capsule and represents a frequent cause of hearing impairment. Many conditions causing hearing loss have been associated with musical hallucinations, but the association between musical obsessions and hearing loss is frequently overlooked.Case presentationWe present the case of a 51-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of obsessive-compulsive disorder who developed musical obsessions soon after being diagnosed with otosclerosis. She was referred to our obsessive-compulsive disorder outpatient unit by her general psychiatrist. At the time of our first evaluation, she had severe musical obsessions that interfered with her social functioning and made her unable to follow conversations. She was started on 40mg of paroxetine and 2.5mg of aripiprazole, which led to significant improvement of her symptoms and of her social and work functioning.ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of musical obsessions in a patient with hearing loss due to otosclerosis and a history of obsessive-compulsive disorder. This case suggests that a differential diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder should be carefully considered in patients with hearing impairment who complain of involuntary musical imagery, especially in those patients who have a previous history of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
BackgroundCapgras delusion is a delusional misidentification syndrome, in which the patient is convinced that someone that is well known to them, usually a close relative, has been replaced by an impostor or double. Although it has been frequently described in psychotic syndromes, including paranoid schizophrenia, over a third of the documented cases of Capgras delusion are observed in patients with organic brain lesions or neurodegenerative disease, including Parkinson’s Disease. Variants of Capgras involving animals or inanimate objects have also been described. The etiology of Capgras in Parkinson’s remains unclear, but may arise from a combination of factors, such as frontal lobe dysfunction and dopaminergic medication.Case presentationWe present the case of a 53-year old right-handed female with Parkinson’s disease who developed Capgras delusion during treatment with dopamine agonists and Levodopa/Carbidopa. She became convinced that her pet dogs and the plants in her garden had been substituted by identically looking ones. Our patient was initially treated with Quetiapine, with no improvement, and subsequently treated with Clozapine, which lead to partial regression of her symptoms. Neuropsychological Evaluation showed Mild Cognitive Impairment in Executive Functions.ConclusionsGiven the clinical history, onset and evolution of symptoms we believe our patient’s delusion resulted from the overlap of dopaminergic medication and Mild Cognitive Impairment in executive functions. Zoocentric Capgras, the variant we describe, has been rarely described in scientific literature, and we believe it is of interest due to its unusual characteristics.
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