Successful suppression of musical hallucinations with low-frequency rTMS of the left temporo-parietal junction: A case report
: Nordberg Janne, Taiminen Tero, Virtanen Lauri, Jääskeläinen Satu K., Scheinin Noora M.
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC
: 2021
: Brain Stimulation
: BRAIN STIMULATION
: BRAIN STIMUL
: 14
: 6
: 1467
: 1469
: 3
: 1935-861X
: 1876-4754
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2021.09.011(external)
: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1935861X21002412?via%3Dihub(external)
: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/67710135(external)
Background: Inhibitory low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the temporo-parietal area has been applied to treat both auditory verbal hallucinations as well as tinnitus.
Objective: We hypothesized that 1 Hz rTMS to the left temporoparietal junction (TPJ) may be beneficial in alleviating musical hallucinations (MH), another condition with auditory experiences in the absence of an external source.
Methods: Here we describe a patient with almost insufferable life-long MH with comorbid depression, who received inhibitory rTMS to the left TPJ as well as the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).
Results: The intrusiveness and frequency of her MH as well as her depressive symptoms alleviated quickly and substantially, and once-a-week maintenance therapy with rTMS seemed to preserve this amelioration. Future studies will hopefully reveal whether this is a viable treatment approach for other patients suffering from MH with or without comorbid depression.
(c) 2021 Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).