Successful suppression of musical hallucinations with low-frequency rTMS of the left temporo-parietal junction: A case report

Abstract

<p><br></p><p>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.<br></p><p>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.</p><p>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).</p><p>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.</p><p>(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/).</p>