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Randy Dotinga writes: Teen sensation Hannah Montana makes a Florida girl shake all over. The problem: She can't make it stop.
Certain sounds -- barking dogs, the clash of cymbals and a song by the alter ego of celebrity offspring Miley Cyrus -- all trigger seizures in the girl, making her body shake and jerk forward.
The 12-year-old has a mysterious form of epilepsy that's set off when sufferers hear, see or feel a trigger. Warm water, Beethoven music and even a specific kind of font can all spawn seizures.
You may have heard about this kind of thing before: In 1997, hundreds of Japanese kids suffered seizures triggered by the flashing lights of a Pokemon cartoon. In 1991, a doctor reported that an American woman suffered attacks when she heard the voice of "Entertainment Tonight" host Mary Hart.
In the Florida girl's case, low baritone-type sounds like dog barks caused as many as 25-30 seizures a day, says Dr. Paul R. Carney, a pediatric neurologist and professor at the University of Florida. The girl likes music, he says, but found that some songs could trigger a seizure, including one by Hannah Montana. (He doesn't recall the title.)
At first, doctors figured she needed a shrink. But that didn't help, and she ended up seeing Carney, who diagnosed a condition called "reflex epilepsy" about two years ago.
People with the condition seem to suffer seizures when the circuitry of the brain processes a trigger (like a sound) and amplifies it, says Dr. James Geyer, a neurologist and epilepsy specialist in Tuscaloosa, Ala. "It's like abnormal feedback off a microphone," he says, and may be related to a glitch in the body's "startle" response.
"I actually had a patient a number of years ago with reading-related epilepsy," Geyer says. "If he read something in a book with a certain type of font, he'd have a seizure." (Geyer doesn't remember the kind of font it was -- we’re just hoping it’s not the one this is written in.)
Doctors treat reflex epilepsy with anti-seizures medication and tell patients to avoid their triggers. Geyer says it's the equivalent of the old joke: "It hurts when I do this," a patient tells his doctor. "Then don't do that," the doctor says.
There's good news in Florida: the 12-year-old girl is on medication and now only has about one seizure a week. "Her prognosis is actually good," Carney says. "In a lot of people, these seizures go away over time."
The prognosis for Hannah Montana? Not so optimistic. The girl seems to have outgrown the singer and doesn't listen to her anymore. If she's lucky, she'll outgrow her seizures too.
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How interesting, and kinda unfortunate. I hope she outgrows this.
My son had something similar - certain video games triggered a couple of seizures when he was 16 - he did grow out of them. But it sure scared the he!! out of me.
the same thing happens to me when I hear sara palin.
You all should look into the illuminati in the music indusrty...... it lists about all of the artists in the music biz today..... it is a satanic cult and they use their music to possess us and in there songs they use subliminal messages, which has a totally diffrent meaning then what their song talks about(satanic chantting). This young girl does not have a medical condition, she is simply being possed from the song(unstated) on hannah montanas cd. Why is the media not coming out with the name of the song???? think about that.
FOR MORE INFO ON WHAT I JUST TOLD YOU...... LOOK IT UP ON YOUTUBE AND SEE FOR YOURSELF
Did you take your medication this morning?
Ummmmmm...what?!?
I so hope Kelly is serious. That's pretty hillarious.
Oh Kelly GMAFBFGS, this is the 21st century, people don't have to be subliminally brainwashed by satanic cults, you can willingly find them on every street corner
Good one!!! :)
Kelly, I couldn't agree with you more. I had a similar experience with my son when he first came to live with us (He's adopted). He was five years old at the time. Before he had come to live with us, he had been allowed to go to bed watching TV every night on the living room couch. He told us later that he had watched just about every kind of thing that you could watch on TV/cable, including horror movies and even R-rated and porn stuff. Anyway, when he first started visiting our home, he started asking us, "Where's your TV?" We didn't have a TV and I still don't, and I refuse to have one in my home. Anyway, he would come over and he would start on the TV thing, like, "Where's your TV? Are you gonna getta TV? When are you gonna getta TV?" Each time we informed him that we didn't have one and that we were NOT going to get one. The last time that he came over, he took off his sneakers and started walking all around the house. Then, he came back into the living room asking, "Where's your TV? Are you gonna getta TV?" I informed him that we were not going to get a TV. He just stood there in the living room and asked again and I answered him the same way again. Then he said, "I want to go back to Cristie's house." And I said, to him, "Alright, that's fine. I'll take you back to Cristie's house, but I'm not going to get a TV." All of a sudden, he sat down on the floor and went into a trance or something. It was bizarre. He just sat there starring off into the distance. I and my wife tried to talk to him, but he just kept looking straight ahead with this far-away look in his eyes. I even waved my hand in front of his face to see if I could get any reaction or response. There was none. I told him to put on his shoes, but he didn't budge, so I put his shoes back on and then carried him to our van. I put him in the seat and strapped him in. He just stayed in this dazed state of mind starring ahead. I got in the van and started to take him back to his birth-mother's home. As I was driving along, there was this evil presence in the van with us. You could feel it. It was really strange. I kept thinking about the idea of getting a TV and wrestled with it for a ways. Finally, I said aloud, "I am NOT going to get a TV, and that's FINAL." Suddenly, the evil presence lifted out of the van and was gone. You could actually feel it leave. It was freaky. At that same instant, my son blinked his eyes and slowly turned his head and looked at me and asked, "Where are we going?" I told him, "We're going to Cristie's house, honey. You told me that you wanted to go back to Cristie's house, so I'm taking you back there." At this answer, a look of fear came over him and he started shaking his head back and forth and crying saying, "No, NO, I don't want to go to Cristie's house! No, NO!" I assured him that we wouldn't go back to Cristie's house and I turned around and brought him back to my house. After that experience, he NEVER mentioned a TV again. He's 17 now and an honor's student. He doesn't even care one bit about TV and never has since. True story.
For people who don't understand this kind of thing, the things we have in our daily lives are used in various ways by various people. Take music for example. Music is written for various reasons, and all music is a form of expression. Some music is written by tallented godly people in order to glorify God. Other music is written by tallented ungodly people to glorify man. And other music is written by evil people to glorify evil and capture the souls of men. The same goes for many other things in life, such as art, dance, movies, TV, etc. I believe the majority of people out there do not understand this and the circles that they operate in are too small to come in contact with other people who have actually been involved in these kinds of things. Typically, only people who have experienced it or who have met people who used these forms of expression for evil purposes understand the reality of what is going on with it.
are you off your meds again?
wow.. really? freakin fruitcake!
Cool story.
Ooookay then. I think we found the straight jacket candidates!
I'm gonna play my Metallica records backwards for a while and see if I can get a hold of this evil presence. Try to get its side of the story...
Oh how I love the internet crazies. They can fill even the most mundane of days with utter hilarity.
Alright - who allowed the nut jobs in the asylum access to the computers? Up their thalidimide or other anti-psychotics. Maybe they've too much mercury in their blood - time to give them an iron treatment. Sheeeeesh - I know humans are nutbags - but really why prove it? :)
WTF? who gives a crap about what music it is? Yes this is a tragic event, I have children myself who are healthy, and I thank God. what could possibly be gained or lost by mentioning Hanna Montanas music causes seisures for this girl. Obviously the mention of this girl "outgrowing" her music should have been the key to not mentioning it at all. I dont get it>
obama has that effect also
kelly & galaxyJ....WOW, you two have GOT to meet. One's a space case and one's from another galaxy. NICE!! Imagine the level kids they will have...no Ritalin or Lithium in their futures
I must be lucky...it just makes me puke. :)
galaxy,
That's an interesting story! I've heard of similar instances of such extreme addictions to electronics. I sit at my computer all the time, even as a kid i spent a ridiculous amount of time in front of the tv playing video games and watching shows... but when it was time to turn it off, I was fine. When we went out Iwas fine. Sometimes I would just get bored of staring at the bunches of blinking lights and stop using the tv for a few weeks.
Perhaps I have an addiction to electronics, but it really isn't a problem for me. I function well enough when I'm on vacation for a few weeks. I don't need to listen to music 24/7, but I still prefer to listen to it rather than not. Most of all, I don't TEXT. That's one thing I refuse to submit to.
As screwed up as our legal system is, she'll probably be allowed to sue the singer for "emotional trauma" and collect a few $Million. If she's lucky, she might get O J Simpson's old jury in L.A..
High five!
And this is one reason why I BARELY, if EVER, use my TV. That, and the fact that I use my computer a lot.
Not really news i shake and scream when i hear miley sing. She has as much talent as her father oh wait that would be none.
ft8965o
You have Metallica records?
One more reason for Miley Cyrus to give it up.
Again, a knee-jerk reaction. You don't like her music, so what? Listen to other music you do like. I have never really heard her music, not purposefully anyway. But to condemn her because of one girl's physical reaction does not constitute an epidemic or merit your disdain.
I HATE Miley Cyrus, and yet I've actually listened to her.
I'm just glad this girl didn't even listen to Justin Bieber.
Keegan, Beiber wouldn't cause a seizure in this girl... Didn't you notice? It's LOW sounds that cause her seizures and obviously Miley's voice is lower than Beiber's.
On another note... forget her music, her parents sold her soul to Disney. She, a minor, had already pole-danced and her younger sister has had parties at a club... I'd say the entire Cyrus household is pretty corrupt.
But that's an opinion, not hard fact. Believe what you like on this matter and I shall do the same.
In me, her songs just inspire a kind of mild nausea...
I get the same reaction from so-called "Rap" and "Hip-hop". Give me true Rock'n'Roll anytime.
boomer - me too!
Rap and Hip-hop are the worst music ever (what - developed, invented, created?) I especially object to them when they are driving by my house and through closed doors and windows, across the 300 feet from the front or side wall of my house to the car I can not only hear the thump-thump ad nauseum but can feel it and sometimes it is so loud that the feeling in my chest actually hurts!!! These kids (mostly) but some adults also, do not realize what damage they are doing to their ears and the irritation they are doing to the people around them (yes, this occurs even when I am driving and one of them is behind me).
Bambi, I'm with you on that one. I've actually had occasions when someone had the volume and the bass turned up so far that it rattled the windows on my house. One time I was able to get back at the person - it was someone who was visiting people that were renting a house near mine, and the guy was sitting out in his car with the music going. I walked down and politely asked him to turn it down, and he basically told me to go f*** myself. I went back to my house and called the police, and the guy was cited for violating a city noise ordinance. (He was also warned that if anything happened to me or my house, he'd be the first person they'd come looking for.) But usually it is just people driving through, so there's not much you can do about it. We're going to have an entire generation losing their hearing at a young age because they have their car stereos and their MP3 players turned up so loud.
Bambi - the phenomenon you actually hear when the "boom boom" cars go by, is the resonant frequency of the "bass tube" that they have in the car. Listen closely and you'll notice that the frequency doesn't change with the music - the speaker functions as a big bass drum. Some songs with great bass lines can really help you to hear the difference - for instance, Blood Sweat & Tears' "You Make Me So Very Happy" or Crosby Stills & Nash "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" are great songs with good bass lines.
(C)Rap (don't forget the silent "c") and Rip Off (I mean Hip Hop) "music" isn't even real music. It's stupid punk criminals trying to do 1950's beat poetry, and failing miserably. There's an essential element to real music called (ironically enough) musicality. (C)Rap lacks any musicality whatsoever. It's just noise to throb to; no talent required.
They can't even write original melodies to go along with their barely-rhyming blathering; they have to steal music from people with talent, and rape it into something punishing to the ears.
I have my tastes in music; I like most — country is about the only music that I don't like, but even country music is still actually music. (C)Rap and Rip Off isn't.
Just another reason to go buy a Ray Lamontange album!
Maybe they should try sound cancelling headsets. You live in the world, there will always be triggers.
I thought it was just me all this time-does she put everyone in seizures
Oh, this is too easy. ;)
Interesting.
Bloomer ur an idiot, who said they we're blaming Miley Cyrus. THe doctor explained that certain types of sounds triggers the seizure. Read the story again please, before commenting
Seriously Curious? You are telling someone else to read it again? All you need to do is look at the title, the insult is implied.
Here let me help you out...
Mysterious form of epilepsy triggered by Hannah Montana
If that doesn't look like the author is blaming the person who plays the role to you? You might want to look into some reading comprehension classes or something.
Newsflash, McAbre - the person who wrote the article is probably not the same person that wrote the headline - imagine that!
This has nothing to do with sound styling. It's really about the fact that this pop-tart can't sing to begin with. Much like her father.
A bit literal are we?
So tell me Randy... How is this newsworthy again? Oh wait I know... You insult Miley Cyrus (whether you like her or hate her that's not the point) by using her characters name in your title to get people to click it, and then you compare her voice to the low baritone sounds a dog makes, that triggers a condition in a young girl who NO LONGER EVEN LISTENS to her music!
Slow news day or what? I have an idea, why don't you research High Fructose Corn Syrup, especially how its manufactured and where its manufactured, and how elements of said manufacturing are actually what make it worse then the HF part of the CS...
You know... something socially responsible and newsworthy... Who knows? People might actually read it even if you don't use someones name in a sad poor attempt at sensationalizing your title...
It's funny that you're here insulting the person for writing this article, but yet you clicked on it and took the time to read it. If you think it's such crap, why are you reading it?
They just want an excuse to bitch and moan about things that aren't there.
I have a child with epilepsy. Gets both types (petit-mal & grand-mal). I didn't know about sound triggers (I knew about other stress factors, not this one), so I am rather thankful I saw this article. I will pay close attention and monitor that if/when there is one. I'll even talk about it to her teachers and neurologist too.
I agree that using Hanna Montana in the title is just name-dropping when there were other sounds such as Beethoven that were triggers as well. I would have read it if the author had used "sound" or "noise" instead of HM in the title.
I'm sorry for this child's condition, because Hannah Montana has brought so much entertainment to that age group . . .
However, I kinda get the same reaction whenever I see a cast member from "Jersey Shore" on TV . . . how can these brats be famous?
That is so weird because Miley whoever triggers me to projectial vomit.
I thought I was the only one!
Tried to post on this, but newsvine lost it.... too long to retype, basic synopsys:
Those that are attacking someone successfull because they aren't is just sad. Get a life!
No one is attacking Miley Cyrus because she's famous and we're not. We're making negative comments because to many people, she's a talentless, self-centered little bimbo who thinks the world revolves around her and that any opinion she voices is of course the gospel truth.
She is worth attacking, considering her sucess isnt based on talent but nepotism. Also, it's not good that she appeals to young girls when she presents herself as a trashy slut in some of her videos.
Which videos? Post them.
Does she also present herself as a "trashy slut" on the show Hannah Montana?
Miley Cyrus causes all sorts of maladies with me - vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, headaches, nausea, chills and rashes.
And fatigue - because I am SO tired of that little b---h......
Curious Cat, don't get in a hissy fit over what bboomer commented on. we all know what the strory was about, he was just using the story to explain his dislike of and hip hop and it makes him ill. With that I have to agree... if I hear rap or most hip hop... I tend to vomit a little in my mouth... no seizures though.... just nausa.
Seriously,
2McAbre
The insult was implied toward a fictitious character, Hannah Montana, not at Miley Cyrus.
It's a story about a girl with a condition, not about Hannah Montana. Oh, and by the way, you read the article so apparently you thought it was worthy of your attention!
I know first hand having seizures is no fun thanks goodness there is medicines out there for us to take and if we do faithfully we might not have another one, I learned the hard way when I was home for an emergency death in the family and my meds were running low so I thought well if I just take one a day I'll be fine until I get to my doctor again to renew my prescription, wrong! Didn't take long until I had another seizure. All types of eplipesy I would not wish on any of you posting!
Take your meds, sweetie! My kid is on her third different med, only one little "blip" since April, we have a normal life for a while. Alas, it appears that she will not outgrow her seizures, but we now have hope that she can attend college next year.
My kid had seizures where triggers could not be identified, but she did have a bunch of them while studying her high school French, at home and school. We took that to mean that the seizures may have started in the part of the brain that processes languages not your own native language. It's only a theory, but we will hang onto that thought, in case the new meds quit working someday.
You should be able to get your meds filled at a pharmacy in any city.
Well, no hannah montana for that household, just to be safe.... doesn't really make a statement against the singer, unless one wants it to.
Wow, I thought it was just me...
The inspiration for an alter-ego is bad for kids anyway. Never thought it would inspire seizures, however.
check out Stewart Swerdlow and the Montauk project -
Seizures? Pretty extreme, she only makes me throw up. A lot like Eugene, the gay from Glendale.
Wait, Hannah Montana is a singer? I thought she was an everyday, teenage girl-next-door just like you or me, and not a major international pop star? Maybe I have her confused with that chick who looks exactly the same, except she doesn't wear a blonde wig?
I must be weird, because I kinda like her songs.
Me too Animal Lover. So much negativity in the world. My grandmother used to say if you dont have anything nice to say, shut the hell up. These grown people are attacking a child, so ignorant.
As for the people that dont like rap or hip hop, due to people driving down your street playing it loudly, various types of music is played too loud. Get over it!!!!!!!!