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Updated: May 25, 2026

Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Published on: January 25, 2016
Prevalence of musical hallucinations in patients referred for audiometric testing
Robert J Teunisse1, Marcel G M Olde Rikkert
1Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Dimence, Deventer, The Netherlands. r.teunisse@dimence.nl
Objective:
To assess the prevalence of musical hallucinations in patients referred for audiometric testing and to analyze associations with age, sex, degree of hearing loss, asymmetrical hearing loss, and tinnitus.
Methods:
Patients referred for audiometric testing underwent a semi-structured interview on tinnitus and musical hallucinations.
Results:
Out of 194 patients, most of whom had mild to moderate hearing loss, seven (3.6%) had musical hallucinations. Significant associations were found with female sex and predominant left-sided hearing impairment, but not with age, severity of hearing loss, or tinnitus.
Conclusion:
This study offers no evidence that age is a risk factor. Musical hallucinations seem to be prevalent in women with predominant left-sided hearing impairment.
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