Musical hallucinations in a case of bipolar disorder

Abstract

Introduction: Musical hallucinations represent a special form of complex auditory hallucinations, characterized by the false perception of musical tones, rhythms or melodies. The main pathologies associated with musical hallucinations are: chronic auditory abnormalities, use of medications; mental disorders and neurological diseases. Method: Case Report. CEP n. 81725024.9.0000.5263, Instituto de Psiquiatria da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, IPUB, UFRJ. Case presentation: We present the case of a 59-year-old patient with bipolar disorder for seventeen years who first presented with musical hallucinations only thirteen years after the onset of the illness. Later, however, this special form of hallucination became recurrent and began to be associated with each new affective episode that she would present. Discussion: Musical hallucinations are rarely found in bipolar disorder and in the present clinical case, with regard to musical hallucinations, there was a good therapeutic response, related to the use of an antipsychotic and behavioral measures. A peculiar aspect of the case was that, in depression, these hallucinations consisted of sad music, and in mania, of happy music.