Musical Hallucinations in Schizophrenia

Abstract

There have been many reports of musical hallucinations in deafness, organic brain disease and epilepsy, but few reports of their occurrence in schizophrenia. Musical hallucinations tend to be regarded as specific manifestations of deafness and organic brain disease rather than of schizophrenia. However, since schizophrenic musical hallucinations are less distressing to schizophrenic patients than verbal hallucinations and psychiatrists have little interest in them, they may be missed. We treated schizophrenic patients who experienced musical hallucinations and traced the symptomatic changes. They exhibited semeiological changes similar to the changes in verbal hallucinations. Musical hallucinations are clearly a symptom of schizophrenia. By reporting these cases, we encourage concern about this symptom, which may be missed when psychiatrists interview patients.