different types of auditory hallucinations

This causes the neurons in the visual cortex to “misfire,” which the brain interprets as seeing real people or other images when there are none. It’s likely visual hallucinations during migraines are caused by a wave of brain activity that spreads across the visual cortex. They’re primarily in patients with familial hemiplegic migraine, a rare type of inherited migraine that causes weakness in one side of the body. Like olfactory hallucinations, visual hallucinations are very rare in migraine patients, according to a 2021 study. They generally arise from visual symptoms of auras. On the other hand, visual hallucinations are much more complex and include vivid images of people, animals, or objects that appear to actually exist. Visual auras are simple visual disturbances like flashes of light or zig-zagging lines. While some evidence suggests a link between olfactory hallucinations and auras, this hasn’t been confirmed, and hallucinations can occur in people without aura symptoms.Ĭan a migraine cause visual hallucinations?Īlthough visual auras are relatively common in migraine patients, they’re distinct from visual hallucinations. Researchers believe abnormal activation of the neurons in the olfactory cortex, the part of the brain that processes smells, causes olfactory hallucinations. Most patients experience the same odor every time they have a migraine attack. Other smells, including vanilla, gasoline, and coffee, are also common. The most common aroma reported is a burning smell. Patients often describe the odors as being specific and very unpleasant. But in a small percentage of people, they can last many hours. Olfactory hallucinations typically occur just before or during a migraine headache and usually only last up to 10 minutes. They can occur during migraine attacks, although they’re extremely rare and only occur in around 0.1% of adults with migraines. Olfactory hallucinations, also known as phantosmia, refer to experiencing smells that aren’t there. Can a migraine cause olfactory hallucinations?

Different types of auditory hallucinations