One story that seems to hit the headlines fairly regularly is the continuing investigation into 'stuck–tune syndrome' that infuriating condition where you can't get a certain tune out of your head. Just when we thought that the story had finally exhausted its news potential, a group in Cincinnati has come up with yet another take on the phenomenon.

It seems that people with neurotic tendencies — as if they didn't have enough to worry about — are more likely to be plagued by a stuck tune than those of a more easy-going disposition. However, researcher James Kellaris reassures us that these people “are not seriously neurotic, but may simply be more prone to worrying and anxiety, and may have neurotic habits like biting pencils or tapping fingernails” (Reuters, USA, 24 February 2003).

Health web site WebMD provides a top 10 of the most commonly stuck tunes, presumably to help their readers to empathize with sufferers. Among the offenders in this hellish hit parade are 'Who let the dogs out', the 'Mission Impossible' theme and 'YMCA'. The main criteria for 'sticky' tunes are that they are “relatively simple, repetitive, and contain an element that surprises the listener” (Reuters). Kellaris also found that stupid lyrics could contribute significantly to a song's adhesive properties.

So, what's the cure? One common strategy is to try to replace the stuck tune with a more agreeable melody. Alternatively, Kellaris found that “sometimes it helps to sing through the entire song” (Reuters), and some people even insist that chewing a cinnamon stick can help them to dislodge a stuck tune. If all else fails, the only option might be to avoid listening to music altogether until the problem goes away.