Songs “stuck” in your head? Find out what science says about it

Everyone has that day when a song pops out of nowhere and doesn’t go away. They are usually snippets of songs that repeat themselves, and often make us feel irritated.

Science even has a few names for this phenomenon: formally, lingering song syndrome, or informally earworms.

Some scholars have devoted themselves to studying this syndrome, which is mentioned by 98% of the Western population – two thirds consider repetitive music to be neutral or positive, but one third consider it annoying and annoying.

In an article, Harvard Medical School professor of psychiatry Srini Pillay explained that some songs are more likely to stick to the head, but that there are also “brain networks of brain networks involved in cognition, emotion, memory, and automatic thinking.” that serve to make earworms appear in certain times.

“that they [vermes de ouvido] It usually plays when you actually hear a song, although it can also appear when you’re feeling good, when you’re dreaming (oblivious) or nostalgic. They can also pop up when you’re nervous because you have so much to think about. It’s as if your stressed mind is catching a repetitive thought and sticking to it. Also, if you are a music coach, you may be more likely to get earworms,” ​​Pillay wrote.

On the other hand, the expert points out that individuals with OCD or anxious people are more likely to have stopped song syndrome.

In a 2016 study, published in British Journal of General PracticeDutch researchers also concluded that these “musical obsessions” may be “more pronounced and debilitating in patients with OCD”.

“The more you try to suppress songs, the more momentum you gain, a mental process known as cynical process theory. Those most at risk of stuck song syndrome are: women, young adults, and patients with OCD.”

Researchers believe that songs in the head are, to a large extent, harmless and familiar to most people. But if there is a complaint, especially of irritability because of it, it is essential that the doctor investigate whether the person has obsessive-compulsive disorder.

OCD treatment mainly includes cognitive-behavioral therapy.

“Patients learn to replace dysfunctional thoughts — like these ‘uncontrollable songs’ that say I’m crazy! — with new, more acceptable thoughts.”