Stuck song syndrome: musical obsessions — when to look for OCD

Euser, Anne M.; Oosterhoff, Menno; Balkom, Ingrid van

doi:10.3399/bjgp16x683629

Cited by 10 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Etiologically, earworms are related to memory: auditory information functions as a strong mnemonic. Psychologically, earworms are a «cognitive itch”: the brain automatically scratches back, resulting in a vicious loop [ 14 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Musical obsessions have also been described as the “stuck song syndrome” and can be quite disabling in OCD cases [ 14 ]. As we mentioned previously, its prevalence is not clearly established and there have been few cases reported in the world, with a predominant demographic pattern in young adults, approximately 33 years of age, with no gender difference [ 3 ], data that are consistent with the profile of our patient.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Stuck Song Syndrome: A Case of Musical Obsessions

Rojas

Rodríguez

2018

Am J Case Rep

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Patient: Female, 32Final Diagnosis: Obsessive compulsive disorderSymptoms: Compulsive behavior • musical obsessionsMedication: —Clinical Procedure: Treatment with serotonin selective reuptake inhibitorsSpecialty: PsychiatryObjective:Rare diseaseBackground:Historically, clinical researchers have underestimated the prevalence and importance of musical obsessions, which are defined as intrusive, repetitive, persistent sounds or tunes, not controlled by the will, that cause clinically significant anxiety and distress. Musical obsessions have also been described as the “stuck song syndrome” and their prevalence is not clearly established, because few cases have been reported.Case Report:This study reports a case of a 32-year-old female with a history of musical obsessions over the course of 12 years. She suffered episodes in which she heard repetitive musical fragments in her head, such as the chorus lines or portions of known or unknown songs, that caused high levels of anxiety in her daily life. The symptoms led her to introduce compulsive behaviors such as listening to the song that matched with the obsessive song. Treatment with fluoxetine 60 mg/day for 12 weeks reduced obsessive symptoms by 60%, improving her quality of life.Conclusions:This case allowed us to explore the semiological spectrum that encompasses musical imagery, in which concepts that belong to normality are involved, such as musical imagination, involuntary musical imagery, and sticky songs, and other concepts that deal with psychopathological aspects such as musical obsessions, musical hallucinations, and palinacousis. Additionally, the case showed us an atypical form of compulsion that accompanied musical obsession, in which the patient sought to complete the obsessive content with real music. Treatment with fluoxetine 60 mg/day generated a symptomatic response but not remission of symptoms.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Stuck Song Syndrome: A Case of Musical Obsessions

Rojas

Rodríguez

2018

Am J Case Rep

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“…We present case summaries of four patients with bipolar disorder who after many years of receiving psychiatric care, complained of musical obsessions. Musical obsessions, also known as “stuck song syndrome” are defined as involuntary, intrusive, repetitive, persistent sounds or tunes that cause marked anxiety or distress 1 . Table 1 outlines the demographic and clinical information about the patients.…”

Section: Case Presentationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bipolar disorder and musical obsessions

Thomson

Sharma

2020

Bipolar Disorders

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“…As well, musical obsessions can only be described in people who do not suffer from hearing disorders or neurological pathology. 10 Palinacousis is considered a persistent and recurring paroxysmal auditory hallucination, in which echoing of an external auditory stimulus occurs after cessation of the stimulus. 11 The auditory perceptions are environmentally produced in the form of exact replicas or fragmented sounds after the initial stimulus has ended.…”

Section: Differential Diagnosismentioning

confidence: 99%