Woman's seizures are triggered by Ne-Yo's music

Nov 13, 2014

A British woman has received brain surgery in an attempt to stop seizures triggered by the sound of Ne-Yo’s music. When 26-year-old Zoe Fennessy hears some of the artist’s most popular tracks, a condition known as musicogenic epilepsy is triggered, freezing her and causing her to vomit. The June brain procedure was undertaken in order to alleviate the mother’s symptoms, but it unfortunately didn’t work. The surgery removed part of Fennessy’s left frontal lobe in an attempt to dampen some of her seizure symptoms.

Fennessy says that while others might find her ailment funny or amusing, it’s very difficult living with the problem. She said, “People might think it is funny—and I can laugh at it myself—but it has taken over my life. It’s ruined my life.”

In 2008, an American woman underwent a similar brain procedure that was successful in curing her seizures triggered by Sean Paul’s songs. Fennessy, however, must still wear earbuds while in a public place, playing her own music, for fear that a Ne-Yo—or another trigger song—track plays while she is grocery shopping or doing other normal tasks.

The Nottinghamshire resident indicates she’s been unable to work in six months because of the problem, which she said she was at first unaware was triggered by certain popular music. Fennesy has a long history of epilepsy, diagnosed in 2008 when she was suffering from six seizures a day.

But around the time of Ne-Yo’s “Give Me Everything,” she went to her doctor and asked him if music could be causing some of her medical problems. The diagnosis was confirmed by doctors playing the song and monitoring her reactions.

The seizures last about fifteen seconds, after which she will vomit and be fatigued and thirsty.

She says that a recent vacation was ruined by the problem, as it was “like being at a Ne-Yo concert—the song was everywhere. I had to stay in the hotel room for most of the holiday because it got so bad.”

After the operation, which did help with some of her other seizure symptoms, Fennesy was resigned to the fact that she would have to avoid certain songs for the rest of her life, telling the Daily Mail that “I’m still left with the singer Ne-Yo causing my seizures. And I will be forever.”