Musicogenic epilepsy

Lore & Background

Musicogenic epilepsy was first described in the medical literature during the 19th century. Notable early accounts include those by British physician John C. Cooke in 1823, British neurologist William Richard Gowers in 1881, and Russian neurologist Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev in 1913. In 1937, British neurologist Macdonald Critchley coined the term 'musicogenic epilepsy' and classified it as a form of reflex epilepsy.

Reader's Guide

Musicogenic epilepsy is a rare reflex epilepsy in which seizures are elicited by listening to, and possibly thinking or playing, specific music with emotional content. Most patients have temporal lobe epilepsy, with seizure onset often in the right temporal lobe, though left-hemispherical onset also occurs. Of about 100 reported patients, roughly 75% had temporal lobe epilepsy, women were slightly more affected, and the mean age of onset was about 28 years. Ictal EEG, SPECT, and functional MRI studies localize the epileptogenic area predominantly in the right temporal lobe. Treatment with epilepsy surgery leading to complete seizure freedom has been reported. The condition highlights the intersection of music perception and neurological function, and its study has contributed to understanding reflex epilepsies and brain lateralization of musical processing.

Did You Know?

• Musicogenic epilepsy was first described in the 19th century, not the 17th.
• About 75% of reported patients have temporal lobe epilepsy, with a mean age of onset around 28 years.
• Women are slightly more affected than men among the approximately 100 reported cases.