Trumpet Playing Hazardous to Your Health?

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1998 For more information contact: Sarah Parsons (651) 695-2732 [email protected]

Can Trumpet Playing Be Hazardous to Your Health?

ST. PAUL, MN (December 21, 1998) ñ German researchers report in the December Neurology on a 17-year-old ìambitiousî trumpet player whose face started tingling during intense trumpet playing. He sought help after one episode partially paralyzed one side of his body for a few hours. The neurologists determined the boy was experiencing transient ischemic attacks, or mini-strokes ñ brief episodes when a blood vessel was blocked, momentarily disrupting blood flow to the brain.

ìHe had no family history of cerebrovascular disease and no risk factors,î said neurologist Stefan Evers, MD, of the University of M¸nster.

Examination revealed that the boy had a patent foramen ovale, or an opening between two chambers in the heart. The opening is present in almost one-third of the general population and is a known risk factor for the uncommon strokes that occur in young people.

Young trumpet players can have increased pressure in the thorax while playing. That pressure may cause air bubbles to pass into the blood stream and across the opening of the patent foramen. Once across, the bubbles can move with the flow of blood into the brain blood vessels. Evers said an air bubble momentarily blocked a blood vessel, causing the boyís attacks.

The boyís opening was closed with an operation. ìHis fingers arenít quite as sensitive to heat and cold as they used to be, but other than that, heís fine,î Evers said. ìHe can play the trumpet without any problems, but he doesnít play much anymore.î

Evers said this problem may occur in other young people who have a patent foramen ovale and play the trumpet or other brass instrument. ìAny tingling or other neurological symptoms during brass playing should lead to investigations for these openings,î he said.

The American Academy of Neurology is an association of more than 15,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals.

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