Music that "causes seizures"

[Rae1889]

I think I just recently found a trigger for me. but i'm not sure.

I was listening to the radio in the car while Chad was driving and Brittany Spears "Three" came one. It has a real computerized sound and lots of bells and beeps that are repeated adn staggered. I had gotten a really bad headache almost instantly and then went into convulsions. I am honestly not sure if this was because of the song, or because of something else. So I was wondering if this was possible?

*other songs will give me migraines pretty quick, like Red Hot Chilli Peppers songs, or things with a constant beep or bell in the background like most techno*


*all my cell phone rings are speaking for this very reason. When I get a text it says "hi sweetie, text message." and emails are "incoming transmission"*

[Nakamova]

I definitely think music can be a seizure trigger. Especially if your seizures originate in a part of the brain that's sensitive to vibrations -- of light and motion, in addition to sound. It could have been the combination of all three that triggered you while you were in the car.

Certain music has also been shown to stop (or at least reduce) seizures. In one study, seizures were reduced in people with epilepsy when they were listening to a Mozart piece ("Sonata for two Pianos in D, K. 448 Allegro Molto"). So maybe there's a song out there that's the Brittany Spears antidote for you Rae.

[epileric]

Oliver Sacks, author of "Musicophelia" talks about musicogenic seizures.

In the book he talks about a client who was sensitive tones or notes and timbre.

I did find some other stuff though that talks about musicogenic seizures.

Musicogenic Seizures

Musicogenic seizures are a reflex epilepsy triggered by certain types of music or even specific frequencies of pitch for which the person's brain has a low threshold or tolerance. These sounds trigger focal epileptiform EEG discharges in cerebral areas specific to the triggering stimulus. This usually results in a complex partial seizure, but may also induce others, such as tonic-clonic seizures.

http://www.epilepsyontario.org/clien...genic+Seizures

Stacey Gayle used to love music. Listening to it and performing it was a big part of her life. She had stacks of CDs in her car, went to concerts of artists like Sean Paul, and would go to parties where hot songs would blare. She was also an active member of the choir at her church: Solid Rock Church of the Nazarene.

Then she started having seizures.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...a-when-your-fa

http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org...t/19/5/399.pdf

[skillefer]

I have issues with certain music too. For me, it's rapid violin music. Itzhak Perlman was the last violin concert I attended...and had a seizure immediately after.

[Rae1889]

hELLO GUYS.

Eric: its not as bad as stacey's case at all. But I found it strange that it was the beeping that set me off. It may have been the combination like Nakamova said.
Hmmm I haev noticed a fair bit of photo sensitivity too.

We were driving to his parents place on friday night. It was pitch black, no street lights on the highway, no moon, no starts, no distant lights cuz they were blocked by trees and the all of a sudden a police car turns on its lights and sirens. It cut throught the silence and spooked me and I got a bad headache, and the flashing made me go into a complex partial that happened to generalize to a tonic clonic.

I'm okay with regular white light strobes (although i do get a migraine and tingles) but its when its coloured that makes me freak out. There are green flashing signs at the Manitoba moose games that send me into complex or absence seizures.

I'm just glad the cop didnt pull us over to find me the way I was. We pulled over, but he went right past us!

[Meetz1064]

a bummer deal that music is one of your triggers but AT LEAST you figured out one of your triggers, right? Actually two, now that I re-read your post........

[joan]

Also mention it to your Dr. It is very good to figure out triggers. These are all lil pieces in a big puzzle*

So far my kids seem fine with music and lights. They tested NOT photosensitive.. so .. so far so good*

joan*

[vapour]

It could be reflex epilepsy. Lots of stimulation triggers me when my E is unstable..even problem solving.. sometimes even if I am in an aura and someone touches my left leg (which jerks during the seiures) it will trigger it.

Last night I was watching a movie and had one..... it could be adreneline rush from being excited at the movie.. and with you at the music.... like as it gets to the big moving part in the middle. Hyperventilation triggered me during the EEG.. so if you are singing along and are triggered by hyperventilation that could have been it... or .. it basically really could have just been the music itself....

check out reflex epilepsy online.

[brain]

Reflex Seizures falls under the category of
Gelastic Seizures. I suffer from Musicogenic
seizures, along with several others under the
Gelastic Seizures; so no it is not unusual but
it sure will show up on the EEG.

It is strongly recommended that you have a
EEG performed and if you can get that music
that triggers that - would be absolutely wonderful
when you speak with your Neurologist so he/she
can capture the seizure and where it is coming
from specifically.

I would not be surprised if they sent you to
the Hospital for a Video EEG - for further testing,
but either way, there are treatments for this.

Eric below has already provided you information
on this and I surely hope you work closely with
your Neurologist (or Epileptologist).

[occb]

Acid jazz sets my partner off -- he twitches like crazy when it's on. I can't say I tolerate it any better

[Crystal11]

Sounds like it would be hard to deal with seizures that are set off by music. I have heard of reflex seizures in Epilepsy. I am a musician and composer since I was 6 and could not imagine if music set off one of my seizures. It would look quite off to be out of it while on stage! I've lost more hearing over that last year and was told that a lot of the higher frequencies I don't even hear, and also the very low frequencies. My new ultra-power hearing aids Naida 5 actually transposes higher pitches into the range I can hear. Its odd to notice things you never heard before and have to learn them.
Kinda scary because every thing you hear, you try and trace it or find it lol. Constantely looking around or asking what sounds are. Some scare me because I think its one thing and its another.
What an interesting area of Epilepsy/neurology.
That would be cool to have a hearing aid invented that would block out specific frequencies or tone/pitches. They have something similar for people with Tinnitus- constant ringing in the ears due to nerve damage. Its really hard to sleep at night or be in a quiet room.

Take care everyone.