title: Idiopathic musical hallucinations in the elderly.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the phenomenology and treatment of idiopathic musical hallucinations in the elderly by reviewing all relevant case reports. A systematic literature search yielded 32 case reports that met the following four inclusion criteria: (1) published in English, French, or Italian; (2) cases aged 65 years of age or older; (3) absence of major focal neurologic disease; and (4) absence of drug toxicity. Information was subsequently abstracted from each case reported and tabulated. Idiopathic musical hallucinations in the elderly occurred predominantly in females who had a hearing impairment, one third of whom were depressed. Treatment of depressed patients with antidepressants and nondepressed patients with anticonvulsants/anxiolytics seemed to result in improvement of many cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital Center, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pasquini
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Cole
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009146:Music; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs