Musical obsessions: A comprehensive review of neglected clinical phenomena

• Published in: Journal of anxiety disorders 2014-08, Vol.28 (6), p.580-589
• Main Authors: Taylor, Steven, McKay, Dean, Miguel, Euripedes C, De Mathis, Maria Alice, Andrade, Chittaranjan, Ahuja, Niraj, Sookman, Debbie, Kwon, Jun Soo, Huh, Min Jung, Riemann, Bradley C, Cottraux, Jean, O’Connor, Kieron, Hale, Lisa R, Abramowitz, Jonathan S, Fontenelle, Leonardo F, Storch, Eric A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Avoidance Learning; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Cognitive Therapy - methods; Diagnosis, Differential; Earworms; Fear; Female; Hallucinations - diagnosis; Hallucinations - psychology; Humans; Imagination; Intrusive musical imagery; Involuntary musical imagery; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Models, Psychological; Music; Musical obsessions; Obsessive Behavior - diagnosis; Obsessive Behavior - psychology; Obsessive Behavior - therapy; Obsessive-compulsive disorder; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - diagnosis; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - psychology; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - therapy; Orhwurms; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0887-6185; 1873-7897
• DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.06.003

Highlights • This is the first comprehensive review of musical obsessions. • It was based on the largest sample of published and unpublished cases ever assembled. • Phenomenology, differential diagnosis, comorbidity, and treatments are reviewed. • Musical obsessions differ in several ways from other obsessions regarding phenomenology and treatment. • Etiological hypotheses and important directions for future research are presented.