That Seizure-Inducing Hip-Hop Music

Imagine being punished every time you tried to listen to your favorite band/musician. Sounds like hell, right? For 24-year-old Stacey Gayle, this was an unfortunate reality. However, thanks to a recent brain operation, she can now listen to rapper Sean Paul without suffering a violent reaction, according to the New York Post.

Gayle is one of five people in the world who suffers from a bizarre condition known as musicogenic epilepsy. When she hears a certain type of music (in this case, hip-hop) she falls into a serious seizure. In an unfortunate coincidence, the song that affected her the worst was also one of her favorites: “Temperature” by Sean Paul.

"As soon as the beat comes on, I don't know what it is, it just triggers my seizure," Gayle said. “It's like a weird sensation you get, like a tingling in your head. I smelled something funny, a weird smell."

Sometimes, even the sound coming from other people’s iPods would trigger a reaction. The seizures got so bad she had to quit choir, and her job at the bank.

So in October, she underwent a “miracle” brain surgery, which made use of a “cutting-edge operating-room technology likened to a global positioning system.” Thankfully, Gayle has been seizure-free ever since, and can now listen to Sean Paul without ending up on the floor.

*Link: NY Post
Photo: Mary McLoughlin *

See also:

• Oliver Sacks on Earworms, Stevie Wonder and the View From Mescaline Mountain
• Music Makes Your Brain Happy
• Playing With Sounds in Your Head