Two common methods to help are electroconvulsive therapy and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Electroconvulsive therapy or ECT has been shown to reduce psychotic symptoms associated with schizophrenia, mania, and depression, and is often used in psychiatric hospitals. Transcranial magnetic stimulation when used to treat auditory hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia is done at a low frequency of 1 Hertz to the left temporoparietal cortex. History
Ancient history
Presentation
In the ancient world, auditory hallucinations were often viewed as either a gift or curse by God or the gods (depending on the specific culture). According to the Greek historian Plutarch, during the reign of Tiberius (A.D. 14–37), a sailor named Thamus heard a voice cry out to him from across the water, "Thamus, are you there? When you reach Palodes, take care to proclaim that the great god Pan is dead. "The oracles of ancient Greece were known to experience auditory hallucinations while breathing in certain neurologically active vapors (such as the smoke from bay leaves), while the more pervasive delusions and symptomatology were often viewed as possession by demonic forces as punishment for misdeeds. Treatments
Treatment in the ancient world is ill-documented, but there are some cases of therapeutics being used to attempt treatment, while the common treatment was sacrifice and prayer in an attempt to placate the gods. During the Middle Ages, those with auditory hallucinations were sometimes subjected to trepanning or trial as a witch.
Transverse temporal gyri (Heschls gyri): found within the primary auditory cortex. Left temporal lobe: processes semantics in speech and vision, including primary auditory cortex. Brocas area: speech and language comprehension. Superior temporal gyrus: contains primary auditory cortex. Primary auditory cortex: processes hearing and speech perception. Globus pallidus: Regulation of voluntary movement. Treatments
Medication
The primary means of treating auditory hallucinations is antipsychotic medications which affect dopamine metabolism. If the primary diagnosis is a mood disorder (with psychotic features), adjunctive medications are often used (e.g., antidepressants or mood stabilizers). These medical approaches may allow the person to function normally but are not a cure as they do not eradicate the underlying thought disorder. Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to help decrease the frequency and distressfulness of auditory hallucinations, particularly when other psychotic symptoms were presenting. Enhanced supportive therapy has been shown to reduce the frequency of auditory hallucinations, the violent resistance the patient displayed towards said hallucinations, and an overall decrease in the perceived malignancy of the hallucinations. Other cognitive and behavioural therapies have been used with mixed success.Another key to therapy is to help patients see that they do not need to obey the voices that they are hearing. It has been seen in patients with schizophrenia and auditory hallucinations that therapy might help confer insight into recognising and choosing to not obey the voices that they hear. Others
Between 25% and 30% of schizophrenia patients do not respond to antipsychotic medication which has led researchers to look for alternate sources to help them.