“I went down, down, down as the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns
The ring of fire, the ring of fire.”
What on earth do those song lyrics have to do with deep brain stimulation (DBS)?
It may sound ridiculous, but a paper published in Frontiers in Behavioral Science academic journal is proposing that a man treated for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) with deep brain stimulation “developed a sudden and distinct musical preference for Johnny Cash”.
How does DBS work?
A person has electrodes implanted into certain parts of his or her brain, depending on the disease being treated. The electrodes produce electrical impulses that can affect cells and chemical within the brain. The amount of stimulation is controlled by a pacemaker device that is placed under the skin of your upper chest and is connected to a wire that travels under your skin and into your brain. 
While DBS is used to treat a number of neurological conditions such as tremors and Parkinson’s disease, clinical trials take place to test the treatment on other conditions. In this case, a 59-year-old-man, referred to as “Mr. B” throughout the paper, suffered form OCD for 46 years, so he underwent a clinical trial for DBS as treatment.
Mr. B’s treatment
Mr. B. was implanted with two four-contact electrodes in December 2006. Within six months some of his OCD symptoms began to dissipate, but he also gained another response.
According to the paper, written by Mariska Mantione and her colleagues from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Mr. B. had never been a huge music lover but six months after the implant, he happened to be listening to a Johnny Cash song on the radio when he became deeply moved and started listening to more songs from the country/western artist.
Suddenly, I love Johnny Cash
“Mr. B. reported that he felt good following treatment with DBS and that the songs of Johnny Cash made him feel even better,” the paper stated.
For years after the treatment Mr. B listened to solely Johnny Cash songs until his simulators would run down or accidentally go out — then he unconsciously ignores all Johnny Cash music and reverts back to whatever tunes he would occasionally listen to.
Yes, it seems a bit outlandish, but this is what the paper is claiming occurred in this particular incident of medical implantation.
Story via Frontiers.
Advertisement
Learn more about Electronic Products Magazine
