![]() ![]() How might TCD cause tinnitus and MH? According to the new paper, tinnitus may be caused by abnormal, spontaneous and constant gamma band activity as a consequence of a particular pattern of deafferentation in the thalamic nuclei. This haywire activity at the neural level, known as ‘deafferentation’, can trigger both positive and negative symptoms in neurological conditions. TCD is a theory that suggests the neurons in the thalamus can start to behave in an odd way, either diminishing their excitation or increasing their inhibition. The model: The model the authors chose was ‘Thalamocortical dysrhythmia’ (TCD), a suitably complex term (go on, say it three times fast, I dare you!). The new paper I am reading hypothesised that MH and tinnitus might share a common source in the brain that differs only in its complexity, with tinnitus producing simple sound and MH producing complex music. Because people can eventually recognize the internal source of the sound MH and tinnitus are not, by themselves, a form of “psychosis”, which is defined as a loss of contact with reality. In both cases people can often not realize at first that these sounds are not ‘real’ – they may go searching for the source of the sound (a hidden radio or a buzzing piece of electrical hardware) eventually to realize that the sound is being generated internally rather than externally. What do these two things have in common? Both MH and tinnitus represent the perception of a sound stimulus in the absence of any physical stimulation from the environment – people are hearing things that are not ‘there’. brainstem) right through to the auditory cortices. MH can also arise from brain lesions at any point in the auditory pathway, from the lower centres (e.g. ![]() Musical hallucinations are more common in older adults, especially those who are suffering from a degree of hearing loss. What are musical hallucinations (MH)? MH are complex false sound perceptions meaning that a fully conscious person might report hearing whole songs or other musical arrangements, all of which have no external source. Many of us will have experienced temporary tinnitus, perhaps after visiting a concert or nightclub, or exposure to other loud and prolonged sounds. The term comes from the Latin word tinnire meaning “to ring”. What is tinnitus? Tinnitus is when a person hears a simple tone or buzzing noise that is not coming from the environment. This is of interest to me as these two kinds of ‘auditory phantom’ may also be on a continuum with earworms, tunes that get stuck in our head (a keen research interest for me). This new paper tackles the question of whether musical hallucinations and tinnitus are similar phenomena. Here I am finally though, reading the first one. I have also been enjoying the planning and teaching of my new Music Psychology course, here at the Hochschule Luzern – Musik.Īll this is why it has taken me a little while to get to my exciting pile of new papers. I love being able to finally sit down to write up these interesting research projects. It has been a long few weeks here in Luzern as I have been balancing immigration admin, with the freedom that comes with being able to write up articles that have been sitting on my desk for months. Well, this hope has been slightly delayed. Before I left for Switzerland at the start of this month I printed off a few articles that I had hoped to read for background research, and also to provide you, dear reader, with some of the latest findings in music psychology. ![]()
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