1
|
Duggirala SX, Schwartze M, Goller LK, Linden DEJ, Pinheiro AP, Kotz SA. Hallucination Proneness Alters Sensory Feedback Processing in Self-voice Production. Schizophr Bull 2024:sbae095. [PMID: 38824450 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbae095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sensory suppression occurs when hearing one's self-generated voice, as opposed to passively listening to one's own voice. Quality changes in sensory feedback to the self-generated voice can increase attentional control. These changes affect the self-other voice distinction and might lead to hearing voices in the absence of an external source (ie, auditory verbal hallucinations). However, it is unclear how changes in sensory feedback processing and attention allocation interact and how this interaction might relate to hallucination proneness (HP). STUDY DESIGN Participants varying in HP self-generated (via a button-press) and passively listened to their voice that varied in emotional quality and certainty of recognition-100% neutral, 60%-40% neutral-angry, 50%-50% neutral-angry, 40%-60% neutral-angry, 100% angry, during electroencephalography (EEG) recordings. STUDY RESULTS The N1 auditory evoked potential was more suppressed for self-generated than externally generated voices. Increased HP was associated with (1) an increased N1 response to the self- compared with externally generated voices, (2) a reduced N1 response for angry compared with neutral voices, and (3) a reduced N2 response to unexpected voice quality in sensory feedback (60%-40% neutral-angry) compared with neutral voices. CONCLUSIONS The current study highlights an association between increased HP and systematic changes in the emotional quality and certainty in sensory feedback processing (N1) and attentional control (N2) in self-voice production in a nonclinical population. Considering that voice hearers also display these changes, these findings support the continuum hypothesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suvarnalata Xanthate Duggirala
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Michael Schwartze
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Lisa K Goller
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - David E J Linden
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Ana P Pinheiro
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sonja A Kotz
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Larsen EM, Jin J, Zhang X, Donaldson KR, Liew M, Horga G, Luhmann C, Mohanty A. Hallucination-Proneness is Associated With a Decrease in Robust Averaging of Perceptual Evidence. Schizophr Bull 2024; 50:59-68. [PMID: 37622401 PMCID: PMC10754164 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Hallucinations are characterized by disturbances in perceptual decision-making about environmental stimuli. When integrating across multiple stimuli to form a perceptual decision, typical observers engage in "robust averaging" by down-weighting extreme perceptual evidence, akin to a statistician excluding outlying data. Furthermore, observers adapt to contexts with more unreliable evidence by increasing this down-weighting strategy. Here, we test the hypothesis that hallucination-prone individuals (n = 38 high vs n = 91 low) would show a decrease in this robust averaging and diminished sensitivity to changes in evidence variance. STUDY DESIGN We used a multielement perceptual averaging task to elicit dichotomous judgments about the "average color" (red/blue) of an array of stimuli in trials with varied strength (mean) and reliability (variance) of decision-relevant perceptual evidence. We fitted computational models to task behavior, with a focus on a log-posterior-ratio (LPR) model which integrates evidence as a function of the log odds of each perceptual option and produces a robust averaging effect. STUDY RESULTS Hallucination-prone individuals demonstrated less robust averaging, seeming to weigh inlying and outlying extreme or untrustworthy evidence more equally. Furthermore, the model that integrated evidence as a function of the LPR of the two perceptual options and produced robust averaging showed poorer fit for the group prone to hallucinations. Finally, the weighting strategy in hallucination-prone individuals remained insensitive to evidence variance. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide empirical support for theoretical proposals regarding evidence integration aberrations in psychosis and alterations in the perceptual systems that track statistical regularities in environmental stimuli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emmett M Larsen
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
| | - Jingwen Jin
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xian Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
| | | | - Megan Liew
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
| | - Guillermo Horga
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY
- New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY
| | | | - Aprajita Mohanty
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Aleksandrowicz A, Kowalski J, Stefaniak I, Elert K, Gawęda Ł. Cognitive correlates of auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Psychiatry Res 2023; 327:115372. [PMID: 37619509 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Auditory hallucinations (AHs) are one of the central symptoms of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). Current cognitive models of AH implicate source monitoring, top-down processes, and inhibitory control. However, research combining these processes is limited. Our study aimed to examine how source monitoring bias, top-down processes, and inhibitory control contribute to AHs in individuals with SSD. Eighty seven patients (aged 18-45 years) with SSD were included in the analyses. Participants completed cognitive tasks assessing source monitoring (Action Memory Task), top-down processes (False Perception Task; FPT), and inhibitory control (Auditory Go/NoGo task). AH was positively associated with response bias on the FPT. Correlations between AH and the other cognitive tasks were nonsignificant. Source monitoring errors correlated positively with response bias measures and negatively with Hits on the FPT. PANSS total score was positively correlated with source monitoring bias and False Alarms on the Go/NoGo task. The severity of disorganized symptoms was related to Source Monitoring Errors and False Alarms in the Go/NoGo task. Negative symptoms were associated with Hits and False Alarms in the Go/NoGo task. Future studies are necessary to further elucidate the relationships between different cognitive processes that may be related to clinical symptoms of psychosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adrianna Aleksandrowicz
- Experimental Psychopathology Lab, Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Joachim Kowalski
- Experimental Psychopathology Lab, Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Izabela Stefaniak
- First Department of Psychiatry Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Elert
- First Department of Psychiatry Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Łukasz Gawęda
- Experimental Psychopathology Lab, Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Richards SE, Sumner PJ, Tan EJ, Meyer D, Rossell SL, Carruthers SP. A detailed examination of pitch discrimination deficits associated with auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2023; 257:19-24. [PMID: 37230042 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) and a history of experiencing auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) exhibit poor pitch discrimination relative to those with an SSD but no AVH history. The present study extended this research, asking if a lifetime history, and the current presence, of AVH exacerbated the pitch discrimination challenges that are seen in SSD. Participants completed a pitch discrimination task, where the tones presented differed in pitch by either 2 %, 5 %, 10 %, 25 % or 50 %. Pitch discrimination accuracy, sensitivity, reaction time (RT) and intra-individual RT variability (IIV) were examined in individuals with SSD and AVHs (AVH+; n = 46), or without AVHs (AVH-; n = 31), and healthy controls (HC; n = 131). Secondary analyses split the AVH+ group into state (i.e., actively experiencing AVH; n = 32) and trait hallucinators (i.e., a history of, but not actively experiencing, AVH; n = 16). Relative to HC, significantly poorer accuracy and sensitivity was detected in individuals with SSD at 2 % and 5 % pitch deviants, and in hallucinators at 10 %; however, no significant differences in accuracy, sensitivity, RT nor IIV were found between AVH+ and AVH- groups. No differences between state and trait hallucinators were observed. A general SSD deficit drove the current findings. The findings may inform future research into the auditory processing capabilities of AVH+ individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sophie E Richards
- Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122, Australia.
| | - Philip J Sumner
- Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122, Australia
| | - Eric J Tan
- Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122, Australia; Memory Ageing & Cognition Centre, National University Health System, Singapore; Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Denny Meyer
- Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122, Australia; Department of Health Sciences and Biostatistics, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122, Australia
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122, Australia; Department of Mental Health, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sean P Carruthers
- Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Stephan-Otto C, Núñez C, Lombardini F, Cambra-Martí MR, Ochoa S, Senior C, Brébion G. Neurocognitive bases of self-monitoring of inner speech in hallucination prone individuals. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6251. [PMID: 37069194 PMCID: PMC10110610 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32042-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia patients might be seen as internal verbal productions mistaken for perceptions as a result of over-salient inner speech and/or defective self-monitoring processes. Similar cognitive mechanisms might underpin verbal hallucination proneness in the general population. We investigated, in a non-clinical sample, the cerebral activity associated with verbal hallucinatory predisposition during false recognition of familiar words -assumed to stem from poor monitoring of inner speech-vs. uncommon words. Thirty-seven healthy participants underwent a verbal recognition task. High- and low-frequency words were presented outside the scanner. In the scanner, the participants were then required to recognize the target words among equivalent distractors. Results showed that verbal hallucination proneness was associated with higher rates of false recognition of high-frequency words. It was further associated with activation of language and decisional brain areas during false recognitions of low-, but not high-, frequency words, and with activation of a recollective brain area during correct recognitions of low-, but not high-, frequency words. The increased tendency to report familiar words as targets, along with a lack of activation of the language, recollective, and decisional brain areas necessary for their judgement, suggests failure in the self-monitoring of inner speech in verbal hallucination-prone individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Stephan-Otto
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Christian Núñez
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
| | | | | | - Susana Ochoa
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carl Senior
- School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
- University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, UK.
| | - Gildas Brébion
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain.
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zouraraki C, Kyriklaki A, Economou E, Giakoumaki SG. The moderating role of early traumatic experiences on the association of schizotypal traits with visual perception. Scand J Psychol 2023; 64:10-20. [PMID: 35833570 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The findings on the association of schizotypal traits with the perception of visual illusions are scarce and inconsistent and have not taken into consideration potential effects of childhood traumatic experiences, a risk factor for schizophrenia-spectrum conditions. Thus, the present study addressed the question of potential moderating effects of early traumatic experiences on the association between different aspects of schizotypal traits with the perception of the Müller-Lyer and Navon's Hierarchical Letters (NHL) illusions. The study revealed that (a) increased suspiciousness was associated with increased liability to the Müller-Lyer illusion, when the exposure to traumatic events was high, whereas the opposite pattern was true when the exposure to traumatic events was low; (b) negative schizotypy was associated with more accurate global perception, and high disorganized schizotypy was associated with superior accuracy when target letters were present during the NHL illusion, when early traumatic experiences were at lower levels; and (c) high negative, disorganized, and total schizotypy were associated with lower accuracy when target letters were present in the NHL paradigm, when early traumatic experiences were at higher levels. The findings of the study suggest that early traumatic events differentially moderate the relationship between various aspects of schizotypal traits and visual perceptual processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chrysoula Zouraraki
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Crete, Rethymno, Crete, Greece.,University of Crete Research Center for the Humanities, The Social and Educational Sciences (UCRC), University of Crete, Rethymno, Crete, Greece
| | - Andriani Kyriklaki
- Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Elias Economou
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Crete, Rethymno, Crete, Greece
| | - Stella G Giakoumaki
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Crete, Rethymno, Crete, Greece.,University of Crete Research Center for the Humanities, The Social and Educational Sciences (UCRC), University of Crete, Rethymno, Crete, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Phantom phone signals and other hallucinatory-like experiences: Investigation of similarities and differences. Psychiatry Res 2023; 319:114964. [PMID: 36463722 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Phantom Phone Signals (PPS) and other hallucinatory-like experiences (HLEs) are perceptual anomalies that are commonly reported in the general population. Both phenomena concern the same sensory modality, but PPS are restricted to smartphone use. The current study aimed to assess similarities and differences between these types of anomalies in relation to general psychopathology, metacognitive beliefs about perception, smartphone dependence, and susceptibility to top-down influences on perception. We analyzed data from a Polish community sample (N = 236, aged 18-69). We used questions pertaining to PPS, a questionnaire pertaining to HLEs (Multi-Modality Unusual Sensory Experiences Questionnaire), and other variables of interest (Symptom Checklist-27-plus, Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale, and the Beliefs about Perception Questionnaire). Additionally, a false-perception task manipulating cognitive expectancy (i.e., a visual cue associated with auditory stimuli vs. no visual cue) was devised to measure top-down influences on perception. Regression analyses showed that only top-down beliefs about perception predicted both PPS and HLEs. Smartphone dependency proved to be a stronger predictor of PPS than other measured variables, whereas for HLEs, general psychopathology was the strongest predictor. Current results suggest that despite sharing some mechanisms, PPS and HLEs may have independent underlying factors.
Collapse
|
8
|
Heim S, Polyak S, Hußmann K. Mimicking effects of auditory verbal hallucinations on language production at the level of words, sentences and stories. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1017865. [DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1017865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is characterised foremost by hallucinations, delusions and disorganised speech. Deficits in the internal speech monitor may contribute to the development of auditory-verbal hallucinations. This study investigates potential effects in the opposite direction: could the presence of auditory-verbal hallucinations have an effect on speech production? To this end, a recent mimicking/simulation approach was adopted for 40 healthy participants who perceived either white noise or hallucination-like speech recordings during different language production tasks with increasing demands: picture naming, verbal fluency with and without category switch, sentence production, and discourse. In line with reports about real schizophrenia cases in the literature, mimicking auditory-verbal hallucinations affected verbal fluency (switch condition) and sentence production (duration) in a different way than mere noise. These effects were not correlated, suggesting that hallucinations may even affect different levels of linguistic complexity in different ways. Anyway, in both cases (mimicked), auditory hallucination appear to contribute to the emergence of disordered speech. The mimicking/simulation paradigm may in future help to identify and disentangle the various factors contributing to disorganised speech in schizophrenia. They may also support the development and implementation of new protocols, e.g., in speech and language therapy in persons with schizophrenia in order to improve their communication skills despite the presence of auditory-verbal hallucinations.
Collapse
|
9
|
Pepin AB, Harel Y, O'Byrne J, Mageau G, Dietrich A, Jerbi K. Processing visual ambiguity in fractal patterns: Pareidolia as a sign of creativity. iScience 2022; 25:105103. [PMID: 36164655 PMCID: PMC9508550 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Creativity is a highly valued and beneficial skill that empirical research typically probes using “divergent thinking” (DT) tasks such as problem solving and novel idea generation. Here, in contrast, we examine the perceptual aspect of creativity by asking whether creative individuals are more likely to perceive recognizable forms in ambiguous stimuli –a phenomenon known as pareidolia. To this end, we designed a visual task in which participants were asked to identify as many recognizable forms as possible in cloud-like fractal images. We found that pareidolic perceptions arise more often and more rapidly in highly creative individuals. Furthermore, high-creatives report pareidolia across a broader range of image contrasts and fractal dimensions than do low creatives. These results extend the established body of work on DT by introducing divergent perception as a complementary manifestation of the creative mind, thus clarifying the perception-creation link while opening new paths for studying creative behavior in humans. Creativity has been linked to divergent thinking Creativity is associated with enhanced pareidolia (i.e., divergent perception) High-creatives report pareidolia across a broader range of image fractal dimensions Divergent perception constitutes a promising phenomenon for the study of creativity
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Bellemare Pepin
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, H2V 2S9 Québec, Canada.,Department of Music, Concordia University, Montréal, H4B1R6 Québec, Canada
| | - Yann Harel
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, H2V 2S9 Québec, Canada
| | - Jordan O'Byrne
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, H2V 2S9 Québec, Canada
| | - Geneviève Mageau
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, H2V 2S9 Québec, Canada
| | - Arne Dietrich
- Department of Psychology, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107-2020, Lebanon
| | - Karim Jerbi
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, H2V 2S9 Québec, Canada.,MILA (Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,UNIQUE Center (Quebec Neuro-AI Research Center), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Laloyaux J, Hirnstein M, Specht K, Giersch A, Larøi F. Eliciting false auditory perceptions using speech frequencies and semantic priming: a signal detection approach. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2022; 27:255-272. [PMID: 35118930 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2022.2031945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Individuals experiencing auditory hallucinations (AH) tend to perceive voices when exposed to random noise. However, the factors driving this tendency remain unclear. The present study examined the interaction of a top-down (expectations) and bottom-up (type of noise) process to better understand the mechanisms that underlie AH. METHODS Fifty-two healthy individuals (29 with high proneness and 23 with low proneness to AH) completed a signal detection task, in which they listened to pre-recorded sentences. The last word was either masked by noise or only noise was presented without the word. Two types of noise existed (speech-related versus speech-unrelated frequencies) and words were characterised by either high or low levels of semantic expectation. RESULTS Participants with high proneness to AH showed a more liberal decision bias (i.e., they were more likely to report having heard a word) and poorer discrimination ability as compared to participants with low proneness to AH - but only when the word was masked by speech-related noises and the level of expectation was high. Further, the more liberal decision bias correlated negatively with the tendency to experience AH. CONCLUSION This novel paradigm demonstrated an interaction between top-down (level of expectation) and bottom-up (type of noise) processes, supporting current theoretical models of AH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julien Laloyaux
- Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Marco Hirnstein
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,NORMENT - Norwegian Center of Excellence for Mental Disorders Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Karsten Specht
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Mohn Medical and Imaging Visualization Centre, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.,Department of Education, UiT/The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Anne Giersch
- University of Strasbourg, INSERM U1114 NCPS, Strasbourg, France.,Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Frank Larøi
- Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.,Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,NORMENT - Norwegian Center of Excellence for Mental Disorders Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Sheldon AD, Kafadar E, Fisher V, Greenwald MS, Aitken F, Negreira AM, Woods SW, Powers AR. Perceptual pathways to hallucinogenesis. Schizophr Res 2022; 245:77-89. [PMID: 35216865 PMCID: PMC9232894 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in computational psychiatry have provided unique insights into the neural and cognitive underpinnings of psychotic symptoms. In particular, a host of new data has demonstrated the utility of computational frameworks for understanding how hallucinations might arise from alterations in typical perceptual processing. Of particular promise are models based in Bayesian inference that link hallucinatory perceptual experiences to latent states that may drive them. In this piece, we move beyond these findings to ask: how and why do these latent states arise, and how might we take advantage of heterogeneity in that process to develop precision approaches to the treatment of hallucinations? We leverage specific models of Bayesian inference to discuss components that might lead to the development of hallucinations. Using the unifying power of our model, we attempt to place disparate findings in the study of psychotic symptoms within a common framework. Finally, we suggest directions for future elaboration of these models in the service of a more refined psychiatric nosology based on predictable, testable, and ultimately treatable information processing derangements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Sheldon
- Yale University School of Medicine and the Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Eren Kafadar
- Yale University School of Medicine and the Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Victoria Fisher
- Yale University School of Medicine and the Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Maximillian S Greenwald
- Yale University School of Medicine and the Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Fraser Aitken
- School of Biomedical and Imaging Sciences, Kings College, London, UK
| | | | - Scott W Woods
- Yale University School of Medicine and the Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Albert R Powers
- Yale University School of Medicine and the Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Amorim M, Roberto MS, Kotz SA, Pinheiro AP. The perceived salience of vocal emotions is dampened in non-clinical auditory verbal hallucinations. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2022; 27:169-182. [PMID: 34261424 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2021.1949972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are a cardinal symptom of schizophrenia but are also reported in the general population without need for psychiatric care. Previous evidence suggests that AVH may reflect an imbalance of prior expectation and sensory information, and that altered salience processing is characteristic of both psychotic and non-clinical voice hearers. However, it remains to be shown how such an imbalance affects the categorisation of vocal emotions in perceptual ambiguity.Methods: Neutral and emotional nonverbal vocalisations were morphed along two continua differing in valence (anger; pleasure), each including 11 morphing steps at intervals of 10%. College students (N = 234) differing in AVH proneness (measured with the Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale) evaluated the emotional quality of the vocalisations.Results: Increased AVH proneness was associated with more frequent categorisation of ambiguous vocalisations as 'neutral', irrespective of valence. Similarly, the perceptual boundary for emotional classification was shifted by AVH proneness: participants needed more emotional information to categorise a voice as emotional.Conclusions: These findings suggest that emotional salience in vocalisations is dampened as a function of increased AVH proneness. This could be related to changes in the acoustic representations of emotions or reflect top-down expectations of less salient information in the social environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Amorim
- CICPSI, Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Magda S Roberto
- CICPSI, Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sonja A Kotz
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ana P Pinheiro
- CICPSI, Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.,Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Moseley P, Alderson-Day B, Common S, Dodgson G, Lee R, Mitrenga K, Moffatt J, Fernyhough C. Continuities and Discontinuities in the Cognitive Mechanisms Associated With Clinical and Nonclinical Auditory Verbal Hallucinations. Clin Psychol Sci 2022; 10:752-766. [PMID: 35846173 PMCID: PMC9280701 DOI: 10.1177/21677026211059802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) are typically associated with schizophrenia but also occur in individuals without any need for care (nonclinical voice hearers [NCVHs]). Cognitive models of AVHs posit potential biases in source monitoring, top-down processes, or a failure to inhibit intrusive memories. However, research across clinical/nonclinical groups is limited, and the extent to which there may be continuity in cognitive mechanism across groups, as predicted by the psychosis-continuum hypothesis, is unclear. We report two studies in which voice hearers with psychosis ( n = 31) and NCVH participants reporting regular spiritual voices ( n = 26) completed a battery of cognitive tasks. Compared with non-voice-hearing groups ( ns = 33 and 28), voice hearers with psychosis showed atypical performance on signal detection, dichotic listening, and memory-inhibition tasks but intact performance on the source-monitoring task. NCVH participants, however, showed only atypical signal detection, which suggests differences between clinical and nonclinical voice hearers potentially related to attentional control and inhibition. These findings suggest that at the level of cognition, continuum models of hallucinations may need to take into account continuity but also discontinuity between clinical and nonclinical groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Moseley
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University
- Peter Moseley, Department of Psychology, Northumbria University
| | | | - Stephanie Common
- Tees, Esk, & Wear Valley National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, West Park Hospital, Darlington, England
| | - Guy Dodgson
- Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne, & Wear NHS Foundation Trust, St. Nicholas Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Strawson WH, Wang HT, Quadt L, Sherman M, Larsson DEO, Davies G, Mckeown BLA, Silva M, Fielding-Smith S, Jones AM, Hayward M, Smallwood J, Critchley HD, Garfinkel SN. Voice Hearing in Borderline Personality Disorder Across Perceptual, Subjective, and Neural Dimensions. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 25:375-386. [PMID: 34940826 PMCID: PMC9154289 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) commonly occur in the context of borderline personality disorder (BPD) yet remain poorly understood. AVH are often perceived by patients with BPD as originating from inside the head and hence viewed clinically as "pseudohallucinations," but they nevertheless have a detrimental impact on well-being. METHODS The current study characterized perceptual, subjective, and neural expressions of AVH by using an auditory detection task, experience sampling and questionnaires, and functional neuroimaging, respectively. RESULTS Perceptually, reported AVH correlated with a bias for reporting the presence of a voice in white noise. Subjectively, questionnaire measures indicated that AVH were significantly distressing and persecutory. In addition, AVH intensity, but not perceived origin (i.e., inside vs outside the head), was associated with greater concurrent anxiety. Neurally, fMRI of BPD participants demonstrated that, relative to imagining or listening to voices, periods of reported AVH induced greater blood oxygenation level-dependent activity in anterior cingulate and bilateral temporal cortices (regional substrates for language processing). AVH symptom severity was associated with weaker functional connectivity between anterior cingulate and bilateral insular cortices. CONCLUSION In summary, our results indicate that AVH in participants with BPD are (1) underpinned by aberrant perceptual-cognitive mechanisms for signal detection, (2) experienced subjectively as persecutory and distressing, and (3) associated with distinct patterns of neural activity that inform proximal mechanistic understanding. Our findings are like analogous observations in patients with schizophrenia and validate the clinical significance of the AVH experience in BPD, often dismissed as "pseudohallucinations." These highlight a need to reconsider this experience as a treatment priority.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Will H Strawson
- Correspondence: Will H. Strawson, MSci, Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RY, UK ()
| | - Hao-Ting Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), University of Sussex, Falmer, UK,Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, Falmer, UK
| | - Lisa Quadt
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), University of Sussex, Falmer, UK,Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, Falmer, UK
| | - Maxine Sherman
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), University of Sussex, Falmer, UK,Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, Falmer, UK,Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, UK
| | - Dennis E O Larsson
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), University of Sussex, Falmer, UK,Department of Psychology, Falmer, UK,Leverhulme Trust London, UK
| | - Geoff Davies
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), University of Sussex, Falmer, UK,University of Sussex, Falmer, UK,Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton, UK
| | | | - Marta Silva
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Sarah Fielding-Smith
- University of Sussex, Falmer, UK,Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton, UK,Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK,Oxford Institute of Clinical Psychology Training and Research, Oxford, UK
| | - Anna-Marie Jones
- University of Sussex, Falmer, UK,Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton, UK
| | - Mark Hayward
- Department of Psychology, Falmer, UK,University of Sussex, Falmer, UK,Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton, UK
| | - Jonathan Smallwood
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, UK,Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Hugo D Critchley
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), University of Sussex, Falmer, UK,Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, Falmer, UK,University of Sussex, Falmer, UK,Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton, UK
| | - Sarah N Garfinkel
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), University of Sussex, Falmer, UK,University of Sussex, Falmer, UK,Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton, UK,Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Tarasi L, Trajkovic J, Diciotti S, di Pellegrino G, Ferri F, Ursino M, Romei V. Predictive waves in the autism-schizophrenia continuum: A novel biobehavioral model. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:1-22. [PMID: 34774901 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The brain is a predictive machine. Converging data suggests a diametric predictive strategy from autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to schizophrenic spectrum disorders (SSD). Whereas perceptual inference in ASD is rigidly shaped by incoming sensory information, the SSD population is prone to overestimate the precision of their priors' models. Growing evidence considers brain oscillations pivotal biomarkers to understand how top-down predictions integrate bottom-up input. Starting from the conceptualization of ASD and SSD as oscillopathies, we introduce an integrated perspective that ascribes the maladjustments of the predictive mechanism to dysregulation of neural synchronization. According to this proposal, disturbances in the oscillatory profile do not allow the appropriate trade-off between descending predictive signal, overweighted in SSD, and ascending prediction errors, overweighted in ASD. These opposing imbalances both result in an ill-adapted reaction to external challenges. This approach offers a neuro-computational model capable of linking predictive coding theories with electrophysiological findings, aiming to increase knowledge on the neuronal foundations of the two spectra features and stimulate hypothesis-driven rehabilitation/research perspectives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Tarasi
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, 47521 Cesena, Italy.
| | - Jelena Trajkovic
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, 47521 Cesena, Italy
| | - Stefano Diciotti
- Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi", University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy; Alma Mater Research Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppe di Pellegrino
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, 47521 Cesena, Italy
| | - Francesca Ferri
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Mauro Ursino
- Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi", University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Romei
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, 47521 Cesena, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Chinchani AM, Menon M, Roes M, Hwang H, Allen P, Bell V, Bless J, Bortolon C, Cella M, Fernyhough C, Garrison J, Kozáková E, Larøi F, Moffatt J, Say N, Suzuki M, Toh WL, Zaytseva Y, Rossell SL, Moseley P, Woodward TS. Item-specific overlap between hallucinatory experiences and cognition in the general population: A three-step multivariate analysis of international multi-site data. Cortex 2021; 145:131-144. [PMID: 34717270 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Hallucinatory experiences (HEs) can be pronounced in psychosis, but similar experiences also occur in nonclinical populations. Cognitive mechanisms hypothesized to underpin HEs include dysfunctional source monitoring, heightened signal detection, and impaired attentional processes. Using data from an international multisite study on non-clinical participants (N = 419), we described the overlap between two sets of variables - one measuring cognition and the other HEs - at the level of individual items. We used a three-step method to extract and examine item-specific signal, which is typically obscured when summary scores are analyzed using traditional methodologies. The three-step method involved: (1) constraining variance in cognition variables to that which is predictable from HE variables, followed by dimension reduction, (2) determining reliable HE items using split-halves and permutation tests, and (3) selecting cognition items for interpretation using a leave-one-out procedure followed by repetition of Steps 1 and 2. The results showed that the overlap between HEs and cognition variables can be conceptualized as bi-dimensional, with two distinct mechanisms emerging as candidates for separate pathways to the development of HEs: HEs involving perceptual distortions on one hand (including voices), underpinned by a low threshold for signal detection in cognition, and HEs involving sensory overload on the other hand, underpinned by reduced laterality in cognition. We propose that these two dimensions of HEs involving distortions/liberal signal detection, and sensation overload/reduced laterality may map onto psychosis-spectrum and dissociation-spectrum anomalous experiences, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abhijit M Chinchani
- BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, Vancouver, UK; Department of Bioinformatics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, UK
| | - Mahesh Menon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, UK
| | - Meighen Roes
- BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, Vancouver, UK; Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, UK
| | - Heungsun Hwang
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, UK
| | - Paul Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, London, UK; Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Vaughan Bell
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Josef Bless
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Catherine Bortolon
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Laboratoire Inter-universitaire de Psychologie, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Matteo Cella
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Maudsley Hospital, London, UK
| | | | - Jane Garrison
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eva Kozáková
- Department of Applied Neurosciences and Brain Imaging, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Frank Larøi
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium; NORMENT-Norwegian Center of Excellence for Mental Disorders Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jamie Moffatt
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK
| | - Nicolas Say
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Mimi Suzuki
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Wei Lin Toh
- Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Lab, Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Yuliya Zaytseva
- Department of Applied Neurosciences and Brain Imaging, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic; Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Lab, Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Mental Health, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter Moseley
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle-Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Todd S Woodward
- BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, Vancouver, UK; Department of Bioinformatics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, UK; Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Yang F, Zhu H, Yu L, Lu W, Zhang C, Tian X. Deficits in multi-scale top-down processes distorting auditory perception in schizophrenia. Behav Brain Res 2021; 412:113411. [PMID: 34119507 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive models postulate that impaired source monitoring incorrectly weights the top-down prediction and bottom-up sensory processes and causes hallucinations. However, the underlying mechanisms of the interaction, such as whether the incorrectly weighting is ubiquitously on all levels of sensory features and whether different top-down processes have distinct effects in subgroups of schizophrenia are still unclear. This study investigates how multi-scale predictions influence perception of basic tonal features in schizophrenia. Sixty-three schizophrenia patients with and without symptoms of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs), and thirty healthy controls identified target tones in noise at the end of tone sequences. Predictions of different timescales were manipulated by either an alternating pattern in the preceding tone sequences (long-term regularity) or a repetition between the target tone and the tone immediately before (short-term repetition). The sensitivity index, d prime (d'), was obtained to assess the modulation of predictions on tone identification. Patients with AVHs showed higher d' when the target tones conformed to the long-term regularity of alternating pattern in the preceding tone sequence than when the target tones were inconsistent with the pattern. Whereas, the short-term repetition modulated the tone identification in patients without AVHs. Predictions did not influence tone identification in healthy controls. Our results suggest that impaired source monitoring in schizophrenia patients with AVHs heavily weights top-down predictions over bottom-up perceptual processes to form incorrect perception. The weighting function in source monitoring can extend to the processes of basic tonal features, and predictions at multiple timescales could differentially modulate perception in different clinical populations. The impaired interaction between top-down and bottom-up processes might underlie the development of hallucination symptoms in schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fuyin Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China; NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, 3663 Zhongshan Road North, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Hao Zhu
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, 3663 Zhongshan Road North, Shanghai, 200062, China; Division of Arts and Sciences, New York University Shanghai, 1555 Century Avenue, Shanghai, 200122, China
| | - Lingfang Yu
- Schizophrenia Program, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Weihong Lu
- Schizophrenia Program, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Schizophrenia Program, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
| | - Xing Tian
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, 3663 Zhongshan Road North, Shanghai, 200062, China; Division of Arts and Sciences, New York University Shanghai, 1555 Century Avenue, Shanghai, 200122, China.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Chen APF, Chen L, Kim TA, Xiong Q. Integrating the Roles of Midbrain Dopamine Circuits in Behavior and Neuropsychiatric Disease. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9060647. [PMID: 34200134 PMCID: PMC8228225 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9060647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) is a behaviorally and clinically diverse neuromodulator that controls CNS function. DA plays major roles in many behaviors including locomotion, learning, habit formation, perception, and memory processing. Reflecting this, DA dysregulation produces a wide variety of cognitive symptoms seen in neuropsychiatric diseases such as Parkinson’s, Schizophrenia, addiction, and Alzheimer’s disease. Here, we review recent advances in the DA systems neuroscience field and explore the advancing hypothesis that DA’s behavioral function is linked to disease deficits in a neural circuit-dependent manner. We survey different brain areas including the basal ganglia’s dorsomedial/dorsolateral striatum, the ventral striatum, the auditory striatum, and the hippocampus in rodent models. Each of these regions have different reported functions and, correspondingly, DA’s reflecting role in each of these regions also has support for being different. We then focus on DA dysregulation states in Parkinson’s disease, addiction, and Alzheimer’s Disease, emphasizing how these afflictions are linked to different DA pathways. We draw upon ideas such as selective vulnerability and region-dependent physiology. These bodies of work suggest that different channels of DA may be dysregulated in different sets of disease. While these are great advances, the fine and definitive segregation of such pathways in behavior and disease remains to be seen. Future studies will be required to define DA’s necessity and contribution to the functional plasticity of different striatal regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allen PF Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (A.P.C.); (L.C.); (T.A.K.)
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Lu Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (A.P.C.); (L.C.); (T.A.K.)
| | - Thomas A. Kim
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (A.P.C.); (L.C.); (T.A.K.)
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Qiaojie Xiong
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (A.P.C.); (L.C.); (T.A.K.)
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Anderson A, Hartley S, Bucci S. A Systematic Review of the experimental induction of auditory perceptual experiences. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2021; 71:101635. [PMID: 33348277 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2020.101635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Voice-hearing exists on a continuum and research studies have utilised experimental paradigms in an attempt to induce unusual auditory experiences in clinical and non-clinical samples. The aim of the current review was to systematically identify, review and appraise voice-hearing induction paradigms in order to guide researchers. METHODS Five databases were searched for studies in which an experimental manipulation was used with the aim of inducing an auditory experience akin to voice-hearing. Papers were assessed for quality and the voice-hearing paradigms critically appraised. RESULTS Forty-nine studies, included in 41 papers, were reviewed. Studies were organised into five groups based on the type of voice-hearing paradigm used: sensory deprivation/limitation; hallucination suggestion; combined suggestion and ambiguous stimulus; signal detection and voice detection tasks; and auditory discrimination/transformation. Signal and voice detection tasks were found to be the most robust paradigms. The quality of paradigms was assessed, and their strengths and limitations evaluated, including evidence in relation to their utility, ecological validity and usability. LIMITATIONS The current review excluded case studies, grey literature and studies which were not written in the English language, and as such voice-hearing paradigms may have been missed. CONCLUSIONS Voice-hearing paradigms vary in their ecological validity and experimental robustness. A challenge for future research is to develop a paradigm in which internally generated material can be attributed externally in a way that more closely represents inner speech and the experience of voice-hearing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Anderson
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Samantha Hartley
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom; Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom.
| | - Sandra Bucci
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Martin JM, Solms M, Sterzer P. Useful misrepresentation: perception as embodied proactive inference. Trends Neurosci 2021; 44:619-628. [PMID: 33994015 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
According to the predictive processing framework, perception is geared to represent the environment in terms of embodied action opportunities as opposed to objective truth. Here, we argue that such an optimisation is reflected by biases in expectations (i.e., prior predictive information) that facilitate 'useful' inferences of external sensory causes. To support this, we highlight a body of literature suggesting that perception is systematically biased away from accurate estimates under conditions where utility and accuracy conflict with one another. We interpret this to reflect the brain's attempt to adjudicate between conflicting sources of prediction error, as external accuracy is sacrificed to facilitate actions that proactively avoid physiologically surprising outcomes. This carries important theoretical implications and offers new insights into psychopathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M Martin
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Faculty of Philosophy, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mark Solms
- Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Philipp Sterzer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Stuke H, Kress E, Weilnhammer VA, Sterzer P, Schmack K. Overly Strong Priors for Socially Meaningful Visual Signals Are Linked to Psychosis Proneness in Healthy Individuals. Front Psychol 2021; 12:583637. [PMID: 33897518 PMCID: PMC8061414 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.583637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the predictive coding theory of psychosis, hallucinations and delusions are explained by an overweighing of high-level prior expectations relative to sensory information that leads to false perceptions of meaningful signals. However, it is currently unclear whether the hypothesized overweighing of priors (1) represents a pervasive alteration that extends to the visual modality and (2) takes already effect at early automatic processing stages. Here, we addressed these questions by studying visual perception of socially meaningful stimuli in healthy individuals with varying degrees of psychosis proneness (n = 39). In a first task, we quantified participants' prior for detecting faces in visual noise using a Bayesian decision model. In a second task, we measured participants' prior for detecting direct gaze stimuli that were rendered invisible by continuous flash suppression. We found that the prior for detecting faces in noise correlated with hallucination proneness (r = 0.50, p = 0.001, Bayes factor 1/20.1) as well as delusion proneness (r = 0.46, p = 0.003, BF 1/9.4). The prior for detecting invisible direct gaze was significantly associated with hallucination proneness (r = 0.43, p = 0.009, BF 1/3.8) but not conclusively with delusion proneness (r = 0.30, p = 0.079, BF 1.7). Our results provide evidence for the idea that overly strong high-level priors for automatically detecting socially meaningful stimuli might constitute a processing alteration in psychosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heiner Stuke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Kress
- Bernstein Center of Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Philipp Sterzer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Bernstein Center of Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katharina Schmack
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Faramarzi M, Kasten FH, Altaş G, Aleman A, Ćurčić-Blake B, Herrmann CS. Similar EEG Activity Patterns During Experimentally-Induced Auditory Illusions and Veridical Perceptions. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:602437. [PMID: 33867913 PMCID: PMC8047478 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.602437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Hallucinations and illusions are two instances of perceptual experiences illustrating how perception might diverge from external sensory stimulations and be generated or altered based on internal brain states. The occurrence of these phenomena is not constrained to patient populations. Similar experiences can be elicited in healthy subjects by means of suitable experimental procedures. Studying the neural mechanisms underlying these experiences not only has the potential to expand our understanding of the brain's perceptual machinery but also of how it might get impaired. In the current study, we employed an auditory signal detection task to induce auditory illusions by presenting speech snippets at near detection threshold intensity embedded in noise. We investigated the neural correlates of auditory false perceptions by examining the EEG activity preceding the responses in speech absent (false alarm, FA) trials and comparing them to speech present (hit) trials. The results of the comparison of event-related potentials (ERPs) in the activation period vs. baseline revealed the presence of an early negativity (EN) and a late positivity (LP) similar in both hits and FAs, which were absent in misses, correct rejections (CR) and control button presses (BPs). We postulate that the EN and the LP might represent the auditory awareness negativity (AAN) and centro-parietal positivity (CPP) or P300, respectively. The event-related spectral perturbations (ERSPs) exhibited a common power enhancement in low frequencies (<4 Hz) in hits and FAs. The low-frequency power enhancement has been frequently shown to be accompanied with P300 as well as separately being a marker of perceptual awareness, referred to as slow cortical potentials (SCP). Furthermore, the comparison of hits vs. FAs showed a significantly higher LP amplitude and low frequency power in hits compared to FAs. Generally, the observed patterns in the present results resembled some of the major neural correlates associated with perceptual awareness in previous studies. Our findings provide evidence that the neural correlates associated with conscious perception, can be elicited in similar ways in both presence and absence of externally presented sensory stimuli. The present findings did not reveal any pre-stimulus alpha and beta modulations distinguishing conscious vs. unconscious perceptions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Faramarzi
- Experimental Psychology Lab, Department of Psychology, European Medical School, Cluster of Excellence “Hearing4All,” Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Florian H. Kasten
- Experimental Psychology Lab, Department of Psychology, European Medical School, Cluster of Excellence “Hearing4All,” Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
- Neuroimaging Unit, European Medical School, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Gamze Altaş
- Experimental Psychology Lab, Department of Psychology, European Medical School, Cluster of Excellence “Hearing4All,” Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - André Aleman
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Branislava Ćurčić-Blake
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Christoph S. Herrmann
- Experimental Psychology Lab, Department of Psychology, European Medical School, Cluster of Excellence “Hearing4All,” Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
- Neuroimaging Unit, European Medical School, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Auditory signal detection in schizophrenia: Correlates with auditory verbal hallucinations & effect of single session transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Psychiatry Res 2021; 297:113704. [PMID: 33453498 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) has been beneficial for treating auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) in schizophrenia (SZ). Aberrant auditory signal detection (ASD) is one of the pathogenetic mechanisms for AVH. We investigated the correlates of ASD with AVH and the impact of single-session tDCS on ASD in SZ patients. METHODS The ASD performance in SZ patients was compared with matched healthy controls (HC) (N = 24). Subsequently, the effect of single-session tDCS on ASD in SZ patients (N = 24) with AVH was examined in a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, cross-over design. The true and sham tDCS were administered (anode at the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and cathode at the left temporoparietal junction) on two different days. ASD task was performed before and after each session of tDCS. RESULTS Auditory hallucination rating scores correlated significantly with false alarm rate, discriminability index, and response bias. SZ patients had a significantly lesser discriminability index in ASD than HC. Single-session tDCS (true versus sham) did not have any significant effect on ASD in SZ patients. CONCLUSION The study findings support the pathogenetic role of ASD in AVH in SZ. Lack of effect on ASD following single-session tDCS suggests the need for multi-session studies in the future.
Collapse
|
24
|
Gawęda Ł, Moritz S. The role of expectancies and emotional load in false auditory perceptions among patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2021; 271:713-722. [PMID: 31493150 PMCID: PMC8119254 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-019-01065-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive models suggest that top-down and emotional processes increase false perceptions in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). However, little is still known about the interaction of these processes in false auditory perceptions. The present study aimed at investigating the specific as well as joint impacts of expectancies and emotional load on false auditory perceptions in SSD. Thirty-three patients with SSD and 33 matched healthy controls were assessed with a false perception task. Participants were asked to detect a target stimulus (a word) in a white noise background (the word was present in 60% of the cases and absent in 40%). Conditions varied in terms of the level of expectancy (1. no cue prior to the stimulus, 2. semantic priming, 3. semantic priming accompanied by a video of a man's mouth spelling out the word). The words used were neutral or emotionally negative. Symptom severity was assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Higher expectancy significantly increased the likelihood of false auditory perceptions only among the patients with SSD (the group x expectancy condition interaction was significant), which was unrelated to general cognitive performance. Emotional load had no impact on false auditory perceptions in either group. Patients made more false auditory perceptions with high confidence than controls did. False auditory perceptions were significantly correlated with the severity of positive symptoms and disorganization, but not with other dimensions. Perception in SSD seems to be susceptible to top-down processes, increasing the likelihood of high-confidence false auditory perceptions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz Gawęda
- Psychopathology and Early Intervention Lab II, Department of Psychiatry, The Medical University of Warsaw, Ul. Kondratowicza 8, 03-242, Warsaw, Poland.
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Steffen Moritz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Abo Hamza EG, Kéri S, Csigó K, Bedewy D, Moustafa AA. Pareidolia in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:746734. [PMID: 34955913 PMCID: PMC8702957 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.746734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While there are many studies on pareidolia in healthy individuals and patients with schizophrenia, to our knowledge, there are no prior studies on pareidolia in patients with bipolar disorder. Accordingly, in this study, we, for the first time, measured pareidolia in patients with bipolar disorder (N = 50), and compared that to patients with schizophrenia (N = 50) and healthy controls (N = 50). We have used (a) the scene test, which consists of 10 blurred images of natural scenes that was previously found to produce illusory face responses and (b) the noise test which had 32 black and white images consisting of visual noise and 8 images depicting human faces; participants indicated whether a face was present on these images and to point to the location where they saw the face. Illusory responses were defined as answers when observers falsely identified objects that were not on the images in the scene task (maximum illusory score: 10), and the number of noise images in which they reported the presence of a face (maximum illusory score: 32). Further, we also calculated the total pareidolia score for each task (the sum number of images with illusory responses in the scene and noise tests). The responses were scored by two independent raters with an excellent congruence (kappa > 0.9). Our results show that schizophrenia patients scored higher on pareidolia measures than both healthy controls and patients with bipolar disorder. Our findings are agreement with prior findings on more impaired cognitive processes in schizophrenia than in bipolar patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eid G Abo Hamza
- Psychology Department, College of Humanities and Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates.,College of Education, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Szabolcs Kéri
- National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictions, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Katalin Csigó
- National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictions, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dalia Bedewy
- Psychology Department, College of Humanities and Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates.,College of Education, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Ahmed A Moustafa
- Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.,School of Psychology & Marcs Institute for Brain and Behaviour, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Olano MA, Elizalde Acevedo B, Chambeaud N, Acuña A, Marcó M, Kochen S, Alba-Ferrara L. Emotional salience enhances intelligibility in adverse acoustic conditions. Neuropsychologia 2020; 147:107580. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
27
|
Abstract
Perceptual disturbances in psychosis, such as auditory verbal hallucinations, are associated with increased baseline activity in the associative auditory cortex and increased dopamine transmission in the associative striatum. Perceptual disturbances are also associated with perceptual biases that suggest increased reliance on prior expectations. We review theoretical models of perceptual inference and key supporting physiological evidence, as well as the anatomy of associative cortico-striatal loops that may be relevant to auditory perceptual inference. Integrating recent findings, we outline a working framework that bridges neurobiology and the phenomenology of perceptual disturbances via theoretical models of perceptual inference.
Collapse
|
28
|
Brébion G, Stephan-Otto C, Ochoa S, Cuevas-Esteban J, Núñez-Navarro A, Usall J. Clinical and non-clinical hallucinations are similarly associated with source memory errors in a visual memory task. Conscious Cogn 2019; 76:102823. [PMID: 31586672 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2019.102823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Hallucinations have been found to be associated with various types of source memory failure in both schizophrenia patients and hallucination-prone healthy individuals. We investigated the associations of clinical and non-clinical hallucinations with source memory errors in a visual memory task that involved the remembering of picture presentation context. 59 schizophrenia patients and 61 healthy individuals took part in the study. Pictures were presented either at different locations or in association with different visual stimuli. The participants were required afterwards to recognize the target pictures among distractors, and then to remember their spatial location or the visual stimulus that was associated with them. Liberal response bias in picture recognition was associated with hallucination proneness and auditory-verbal hallucinations in subsamples of participants with significant non-clinical or clinical hallucinations. After controlling for overall memory performance, failure to remember the spatial location of the pictures was associated with visual hallucinations in male patients; failure to remember the associated visual stimulus was related to auditory-verbal hallucinations in female patients and to hallucination proneness in healthy women. The findings suggest that both clinical and non-clinical hallucinations are associated with loss of contextual information relative to the acquisition of events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gildas Brébion
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Christian Stephan-Otto
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Susana Ochoa
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Cuevas-Esteban
- Servei de Psiquiatria, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Araceli Núñez-Navarro
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Judith Usall
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Hahn B, Shrieves ME, Yuille MB, Buchanan RW, Wells AK. Nicotine effects on cognitive remediation training outcome in people with schizophrenia: A pilot study. Psychiatry Res 2019; 280:112498. [PMID: 31437659 PMCID: PMC6756954 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive remediation training can alleviate cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia, but the impact is limited by small effect sizes. The present study aimed at augmenting training effects by administering nicotine prior to training sessions. Twenty-five people with schizophrenia were enrolled in a 10-week, 5 days/week, computerized cognitive training regimen. Participants were randomized to two treatment groups: nicotine or placebo. Every Monday and Thursday, the nicotine group received a nicotine lozenge before the training, and the placebo group a placebo lozenge. Outcome measurements were conducted on a no-lozenge day in weeks 0, 4, 7, and 10, and at 4-week follow-up. The MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery composite score improved over time, but there was no group difference in this effect. A significant group difference emerged over time in the reasoning/problem solving sub-domain: the placebo group improved but not the nicotine group, suggesting that nicotine exposure negatively impacted training benefits on executive control processes. There were no effects on psychiatric symptoms. However, significant improvements were seen across groups on the Quality of Life Scale and the Cognitive Assessment Interview, measuring real-life functional outcome. In conclusion, the present study failed to find evidence that nicotine exposure during cognitive remediation training may potentiate training benefits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Britta Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, P.O. Box 21247, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Fernyhough C, Watson A, Bernini M, Moseley P, Alderson-Day B. Imaginary Companions, Inner Speech, and Auditory Verbal Hallucinations: What Are the Relations? Front Psychol 2019; 10:1665. [PMID: 31417448 PMCID: PMC6682647 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Interacting with imaginary companions (ICs) is now considered a natural part of childhood for many children, and has been associated with a range of positive developmental outcomes. Recent research has explored how the phenomenon of ICs in childhood and adulthood relates to the more unusual experience of hearing voices (or auditory verbal hallucinations, AVH). Specifically, parallels have been drawn between the varied phenomenology of the two kinds of experience, including the issues of quasi-perceptual vividness and autonomy/control. One line of research has explored how ICs might arise through the internalization of linguistically mediated social exchanges to form dialogic inner speech. We present data from two studies on the relation between ICs in childhood and adulthood and the experience of inner speech. In the first, a large community sample of adults (N = 1,472) completed online the new Varieties of Inner Speech – Revised (VISQ-R) questionnaire (Alderson-Day et al., 2018) on the phenomenology of inner speech, in addition to providing data on ICs and AVH. The results showed differences in inner speech phenomenology in individuals with a history of ICs, with higher scores on the Dialogic, Evaluative, and Other Voices subscales of the VISQ-R. In the second study, a smaller community sample of adults (N = 48) completed an auditory signal detection task as well as providing data on ICs and AVH. In addition to scoring higher on AVH proneness, individuals with a history of ICs showed reduced sensitivity to detecting speech in white noise as well as a bias toward detecting it. The latter finding mirrored a pattern previously found in both clinical and nonclinical individuals with AVH. These findings are consistent with the view that ICs represent a hallucination-like experience in childhood and adulthood which shows meaningful developmental relations with the experience of inner speech.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ashley Watson
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Marco Bernini
- Department of English Studies, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Moseley
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom.,School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, United Kingdom
| | - Ben Alderson-Day
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Laloyaux J, De Keyser F, Pinchard A, Della Libera C, Larøi F. Testing a model of auditory hallucinations: the role of negative emotions and cognitive resources. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2019; 24:256-274. [PMID: 31188062 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2019.1629895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Models of auditory hallucinations (AH) state that AH arise through an interaction between negative emotions and limited available cognitive resources. However, this hypothesis has never been directly tested. Methods: A two-by-two factorial design was used to examine the effect of emotions (neutral VS negative) and available cognitive resources (high VS low) on the elicitation of false alarms in an auditory signal detection paradigm. One hundred and seventy four healthy participants were assigned to one of the four experimental conditions. While participants were listening to white noise, their emotional state was manipulated using affective pictures and the level of available cognitive resources was manipulated using a visual N-back task. Results: Results revealed significant interaction effects between emotions and cognitive resources on the number of false alarms. In particular, participants with fewer available cognitive resources and at the same time who were in a negative emotional state, tended to hear significantly more false alarms. In addition, the degree of certitude was significantly correlated with a higher degree of hallucination proneness. Conclusions: Such results are in agreement with models of AH and they provide new data for the understanding of the emotional and cognitive mechanisms that underpin AH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julien Laloyaux
- a Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen , Bergen , Norway.,b NORMENT - Norwegian Center for Mental Disorders Research, University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.,c Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège , Liège , Belgium
| | - Freya De Keyser
- d Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department Of Experimental Psychology, University of Ghent , Ghent , Belgium
| | - Antoine Pinchard
- c Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège , Liège , Belgium
| | - Clara Della Libera
- c Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège , Liège , Belgium
| | - Frank Larøi
- a Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen , Bergen , Norway.,b NORMENT - Norwegian Center for Mental Disorders Research, University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.,c Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège , Liège , Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Alderson-Day B, Lima CF, Evans S, Krishnan S, Shanmugalingam P, Fernyhough C, Scott SK. Distinct processing of ambiguous speech in people with non-clinical auditory verbal hallucinations. Brain 2017; 140:2475-2489. [PMID: 29050393 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awx206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Auditory verbal hallucinations (hearing voices) are typically associated with psychosis, but a minority of the general population also experience them frequently and without distress. Such 'non-clinical' experiences offer a rare and unique opportunity to study hallucinations apart from confounding clinical factors, thus allowing for the identification of symptom-specific mechanisms. Recent theories propose that hallucinations result from an imbalance of prior expectation and sensory information, but whether such an imbalance also influences auditory-perceptual processes remains unknown. We examine for the first time the cortical processing of ambiguous speech in people without psychosis who regularly hear voices. Twelve non-clinical voice-hearers and 17 matched controls completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan while passively listening to degraded speech ('sine-wave' speech), that was either potentially intelligible or unintelligible. Voice-hearers reported recognizing the presence of speech in the stimuli before controls, and before being explicitly informed of its intelligibility. Across both groups, intelligible sine-wave speech engaged a typical left-lateralized speech processing network. Notably, however, voice-hearers showed stronger intelligibility responses than controls in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and in the superior frontal gyrus. This suggests an enhanced involvement of attention and sensorimotor processes, selectively when speech was potentially intelligible. Altogether, these behavioural and neural findings indicate that people with hallucinatory experiences show distinct responses to meaningful auditory stimuli. A greater weighting towards prior knowledge and expectation might cause non-veridical auditory sensations in these individuals, but it might also spontaneously facilitate perceptual processing where such knowledge is required. This has implications for the understanding of hallucinations in clinical and non-clinical populations, and is consistent with current 'predictive processing' theories of psychosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ben Alderson-Day
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - César F Lima
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17-19 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR, UK.,Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Samuel Evans
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17-19 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London, W1W 6UW, UK
| | - Saloni Krishnan
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17-19 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR, UK.,Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, S Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK
| | - Pradheep Shanmugalingam
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17-19 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Charles Fernyhough
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Sophie K Scott
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17-19 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Diminished auditory sensory gating during active auditory verbal hallucinations. Schizophr Res 2017; 188:125-131. [PMID: 28109666 PMCID: PMC5515701 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Auditory sensory gating, assessed in a paired-click paradigm, indicates the extent to which incoming stimuli are filtered, or "gated", in auditory cortex. Gating is typically computed as the ratio of the peak amplitude of the event related potential (ERP) to a second click (S2) divided by the peak amplitude of the ERP to a first click (S1). Higher gating ratios are purportedly indicative of incomplete suppression of S2 and considered to represent sensory processing dysfunction. In schizophrenia, hallucination severity is positively correlated with gating ratios, and it was hypothesized that a failure of sensory control processes early in auditory sensation (gating) may represent a larger system failure within the auditory data stream; resulting in auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH). EEG data were collected while patients (N=12) with treatment-resistant AVH pressed a button to indicate the beginning (AVH-on) and end (AVH-off) of each AVH during a paired click protocol. For each participant, separate gating ratios were computed for the P50, N100, and P200 components for each of the AVH-off and AVH-on states. AVH trait severity was assessed using the Psychotic Symptoms Rating Scales AVH Total score (PSYRATS). The results of a mixed model ANOVA revealed an overall effect for AVH state, such that gating ratios were significantly higher during the AVH-on state than during AVH-off for all three components. PSYRATS score was significantly and negatively correlated with N100 gating ratio only in the AVH-off state. These findings link onset of AVH with a failure of an empirically-defined auditory inhibition system, auditory sensory gating, and pave the way for a sensory gating model of AVH.
Collapse
|
34
|
Pries LK, Guloksuz S, Menne-Lothmann C, Decoster J, van Winkel R, Collip D, Delespaul P, De Hert M, Derom C, Thiery E, Jacobs N, Wichers M, Simons CJP, Rutten BPF, van Os J. White noise speech illusion and psychosis expression: An experimental investigation of psychosis liability. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183695. [PMID: 28832672 PMCID: PMC5567924 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background An association between white noise speech illusion and psychotic symptoms has been reported in patients and their relatives. This supports the theory that bottom-up and top-down perceptual processes are involved in the mechanisms underlying perceptual abnormalities. However, findings in nonclinical populations have been conflicting. Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the association between white noise speech illusion and subclinical expression of psychotic symptoms in a nonclinical sample. Findings were compared to previous results to investigate potential methodology dependent differences. Methods In a general population adolescent and young adult twin sample (n = 704), the association between white noise speech illusion and subclinical psychotic experiences, using the Structured Interview for Schizotypy—Revised (SIS-R) and the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE), was analyzed using multilevel logistic regression analyses. Results Perception of any white noise speech illusion was not associated with either positive or negative schizotypy in the general population twin sample, using the method by Galdos et al. (2011) (positive: ORadjusted: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.6–1.12, p = 0.217; negative: ORadjusted: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.56–1.02, p = 0.065) and the method by Catalan et al. (2014) (positive: ORadjusted: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.79–1.57, p = 0.557). No association was found between CAPE scores and speech illusion (ORadjusted: 1.25, 95% CI: 0.88–1.79, p = 0.220). For the Catalan et al. (2014) but not the Galdos et al. (2011) method, a negative association was apparent between positive schizotypy and speech illusion with positive or negative affective valence (ORadjusted: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.24–0.81, p = 0.008). Conclusion Contrary to findings in clinical populations, white noise speech illusion may not be associated with psychosis proneness in nonclinical populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lotta-Katrin Pries
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Sinan Guloksuz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Claudia Menne-Lothmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Decoster
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- University Psychiatric Centre KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ruud van Winkel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- University Psychiatric Centre KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dina Collip
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Philippe Delespaul
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Marc De Hert
- University Psychiatric Centre KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Catherine Derom
- Centre of Human Genetics, University Hospitals Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ghent University Hospitals, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Evert Thiery
- Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nele Jacobs
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | - Marieke Wichers
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Psychiatry, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation (ICPE), Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Claudia J. P. Simons
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- GGzE, Institute for Mental Health Care Eindhoven and De Kempen, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Bart P. F. Rutten
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jim van Os
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- King's College London, King's Health Partners, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Siddi S, Petretto DR, Burrai C, Scanu R, Baita A, Trincas P, Trogu E, Campus L, Contu A, Preti A. The role of set-shifting in auditory verbal hallucinations. Compr Psychiatry 2017; 74:162-172. [PMID: 28167329 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2017.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Revised: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) are a cardinal characteristic of psychosis. Recent research on the neuropsychological mechanism of AVHs has focused on source monitoring failure, but a few studies have suggested the involvement of attention, working memory, processing speed, verbal learning, memory, and executive functions. In this study we examined the neuropsychological profile of patients with AVHs, assuming that the mechanism underlying this symptom could be a dysfunction of specific cognitive domains. METHODS A large neuropsychological battery including set-shifting, working memory, processing speed, attention, fluency, verbal learning and memory, and executive functions was administered to 90 patients with psychotic disorders and 44 healthy controls. The group of patients was divided into two groups: 46 patients with AVHs in the current episode and 44 who denied auditory hallucinations or other modalities in the current episode. AVHs were assessed with the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS); the Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale was used to measure long-term propensity to auditory verbal hallucination-like experiences (HLEs) in the sample. RESULTS Patients showed poorer performances on all neuropsychological measures compared to the healthy controls' group. In the original dataset without missing data (n=58), patients with AVHs (n=29) presented poorer set shifting and verbal learning, higher levels of visual attention, and marginally significant poorer semantic fluency compared to patients without AVHs (n=29). In the logistic model on the multiple imputed dataset (n=90, 100 imputed datasets), lower capacity of set shifting and semantic fluency distinguished patients with AVHs from those without them. CONCLUSIONS Patients experiencing persistent AVHs might fail to shift their attention away from the voices; poorer semantic fluency could be a secondary deficit of set-shifting failure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Siddi
- Section of Clinical Psychology, Department of Education, Psychology, and Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Italy; Research and Development Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Donatella Rita Petretto
- Section of Clinical Psychology, Department of Education, Psychology, and Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Italy
| | - Caterina Burrai
- Psychiatric Diagnosis and Treatment Service I, Department of Mental Health, ASL Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Rosanna Scanu
- Section of Clinical Psychology, Department of Education, Psychology, and Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Italy
| | - Antonella Baita
- Psychiatric Diagnosis and Treatment Service I, Department of Mental Health, ASL Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Pierfranco Trincas
- Psychiatric Diagnosis and Treatment Service II, Department of Mental Health, ASL Cagliari, Cagliary, Italy
| | - Emanuela Trogu
- Psychiatric Diagnosis and Treatment Service II, Department of Mental Health, ASL Cagliari, Cagliary, Italy
| | - Liliana Campus
- Psychiatric Diagnosis and Treatment Service I, Department of Mental Health, ASL Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Augusto Contu
- Head, Department of Mental Health, ASL Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Antonio Preti
- Section of Clinical Psychology, Department of Education, Psychology, and Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Italy; Genneruxi Medical Center, Cagliari, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Alganami F, Varese F, Wagstaff GF, Bentall RP. Suggestibility and signal detection performance in hallucination-prone students. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2017; 22:159-174. [PMID: 28253093 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2017.1294056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Auditory hallucinations are associated with signal detection biases. We examine the extent to which suggestions influence performance on a signal detection task (SDT) in highly hallucination-prone and low hallucination-prone students. We also explore the relationship between trait suggestibility, dissociation and hallucination proneness. METHOD In two experiments, students completed on-line measures of hallucination proneness (the revised Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale; LSHS-R), trait suggestibility (Inventory of Suggestibility) and dissociation (Dissociative Experiences Scale-II). Students in the upper and lower tertiles of the LSHS-R performed an auditory SDT. Prior to the task, suggestions were made pertaining to the number of expected targets (Experiment 1, N = 60: high vs. low suggestions; Experiment 2, N = 62, no suggestion vs. high suggestion vs. no voice suggestion). RESULTS Correlational and regression analyses indicated that trait suggestibility and dissociation predicted hallucination proneness. Highly hallucination-prone students showed a higher SDT bias in both studies. In Experiment 1, both bias scores were significantly affected by suggestions to the same degree. In Experiment 2, highly hallucination-prone students were more reactive to the high suggestion condition than the controls. CONCLUSION Suggestions may affect source-monitoring judgments, and this effect may be greater in those who have a predisposition towards hallucinatory experiences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fatimah Alganami
- a Department of Psychological Sciences , Liverpool University , Liverpool , UK
| | - Filippo Varese
- b Section of Clinical and Health Psychology , School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester , Manchester , UK
| | - Graham F Wagstaff
- a Department of Psychological Sciences , Liverpool University , Liverpool , UK
| | - Richard P Bentall
- a Department of Psychological Sciences , Liverpool University , Liverpool , UK
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Stuke H, Stuke H, Weilnhammer VA, Schmack K. Psychotic Experiences and Overhasty Inferences Are Related to Maladaptive Learning. PLoS Comput Biol 2017; 13:e1005328. [PMID: 28107344 PMCID: PMC5249047 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Theoretical accounts suggest that an alteration in the brain’s learning mechanisms might lead to overhasty inferences, resulting in psychotic symptoms. Here, we sought to elucidate the suggested link between maladaptive learning and psychosis. Ninety-eight healthy individuals with varying degrees of delusional ideation and hallucinatory experiences performed a probabilistic reasoning task that allowed us to quantify overhasty inferences. Replicating previous results, we found a relationship between psychotic experiences and overhasty inferences during probabilistic reasoning. Computational modelling revealed that the behavioral data was best explained by a novel computational learning model that formalizes the adaptiveness of learning by a non-linear distortion of prediction error processing, where an increased non-linearity implies a growing resilience against learning from surprising and thus unreliable information (large prediction errors). Most importantly, a decreased adaptiveness of learning predicted delusional ideation and hallucinatory experiences. Our current findings provide a formal description of the computational mechanisms underlying overhasty inferences, thereby empirically substantiating theories that link psychosis to maladaptive learning. Predictive coding theories represent a unifying account of psychosis, stating that the central psychosis-related alteration affects the interplay between prior predictions and incoming information. Since every incoming information is imprecise and potentially allows for different interpretations, prior expectations achieve the enforcement of interpretations with a higher prior probability. Disturbances in this basic framework might let unlikely interpretations come into effect, resulting in proneness for delusions and hallucinations. Here, we contribute to these theories by devising a novel computational model for behavior in a reasoning task that quantifies the participants' readiness to draw inferences from very surprising information. We thereby demonstrate that precisely this increased learning from surprising and thus potentially spurious information, as opposed to non-specific alterations in the general learning speed, predispose healthy individuals for delusions and hallucinations. The present results hence speak for the hypothesis that hallucinations and delusions arise when noisy information is considered as precise and is thus not suppressed by opposing prior beliefs. In this sense, our findings also tie with recent neurophysiological models of psychosis that posit aberrations in modulatory neurotransmitters such as dopamine (or its interactions with GABAergic interneurons) as a correlate of perturbed computations of information precision in the cortex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heiner Stuke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Hannes Stuke
- Department of Mathematics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Katharina Schmack
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Chhabra H, Sowmya S, Sreeraj VS, Kalmady SV, Shivakumar V, Amaresha AC, Narayanaswamy JC, Venkatasubramanian G. Auditory false perception in schizophrenia: Development and validation of auditory signal detection task. Asian J Psychiatr 2016; 24:23-27. [PMID: 27931901 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2016.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Revised: 08/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Auditory hallucinations constitute an important symptom component in 70-80% of schizophrenia patients. These hallucinations are proposed to occur due to an imbalance between perceptual expectation and external input, resulting in attachment of meaning to abstract noises; signal detection theory has been proposed to explain these phenomena. In this study, we describe the development of an auditory signal detection task using a carefully chosen set of English words that could be tested successfully in schizophrenia patients coming from varying linguistic, cultural and social backgrounds. Schizophrenia patients with significant auditory hallucinations (N=15) and healthy controls (N=15) performed the auditory signal detection task wherein they were instructed to differentiate between a 5-s burst of plain white noise and voiced-noise. The analysis showed that false alarms (p=0.02), discriminability index (p=0.001) and decision bias (p=0.004) were significantly different between the two groups. There was a significant negative correlation between false alarm rate and decision bias. These findings extend further support for impaired perceptual expectation system in schizophrenia patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harleen Chhabra
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Selvaraj Sowmya
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Vanteemar S Sreeraj
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Sunil V Kalmady
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Venkataram Shivakumar
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Anekal C Amaresha
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Janardhanan C Narayanaswamy
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Ganesan Venkatasubramanian
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Rimvall MK, Clemmensen L, Munkholm A, Rask CU, Larsen JT, Skovgaard AM, Simons CJP, van Os J, Jeppesen P. Introducing the White Noise task in childhood: associations between speech illusions and psychosis vulnerability. Psychol Med 2016; 46:2731-2740. [PMID: 27444712 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291716001112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are common during development and may arise due to dysregulation in top-down processing of sensory input. This study was designed to examine the frequency and correlates of speech illusions measured using the White Noise (WN) task in children from the general population. Associations between speech illusions and putative risk factors for psychotic disorder and negative affect were examined. METHOD A total of 1486 children aged 11-12 years of the Copenhagen Child Cohort 2000 were examined with the WN task. Psychotic experiences and negative affect were determined using the Kiddie-SADS-PL. Register data described family history of mental disorders. Exaggerated Theory of Mind functioning (hyper-ToM) was measured by the ToM Storybook Frederik. RESULTS A total of 145 (10%) children experienced speech illusions (hearing speech in the absence of speech stimuli), of which 102 (70%) experienced illusions perceived by the child as positive or negative (affectively salient). Experiencing hallucinations during the last month was associated with affectively salient speech illusions in the WN task [general cognitive ability: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-3.93]. Negative affect, both last month and lifetime, was also associated with affectively salient speech illusions (aOR 2.01, 95% CI 1.05-3.83 and aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.11-2.89, respectively). Speech illusions were not associated with delusions, hyper-ToM or family history of mental disorders. CONCLUSIONS Speech illusions were elicited in typically developing children in a WN-test paradigm, and point to an affective pathway to AVH mediated by dysregulation in top-down processing of sensory input.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M K Rimvall
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center,Mental Health Services,The Capital Region of Denmark,Glostrup,Denmark
| | - L Clemmensen
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center,Mental Health Services,The Capital Region of Denmark,Glostrup,Denmark
| | - A Munkholm
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center,Mental Health Services,The Capital Region of Denmark,Glostrup,Denmark
| | - C U Rask
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Centre Risskov,Aarhus University Hospital,Aarhus,Denmark
| | - J T Larsen
- The National Centre for Register-based Research,Aarhus University,Aarhus,Denmark
| | - A M Skovgaard
- Department of Public Health,University of Copenhagen,Copenhagen,Denmark
| | - C J P Simons
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology,Maastricht University Medical Centre,Maastricht,The Netherlands
| | - J van Os
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology,Maastricht University Medical Centre,Maastricht,The Netherlands
| | - P Jeppesen
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center,Mental Health Services,The Capital Region of Denmark,Glostrup,Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Pinheiro AP, Rezaii N, Rauber A, Niznikiewicz M. Is this my voice or yours? The role of emotion and acoustic quality in self-other voice discrimination in schizophrenia. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2016; 21:335-353. [PMID: 27454152 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2016.1208611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Impairments in self-other voice discrimination have been consistently reported in schizophrenia, and associated with the severity of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs). This study probed the interactions between voice identity, voice acoustic quality, and semantic valence in a self-other voice discrimination task in schizophrenia patients compared with healthy subjects. The relationship between voice identity discrimination and AVH severity was also explored. METHODS Seventeen chronic schizophrenia patients and 19 healthy controls were asked to read aloud a list of adjectives characterised by emotional or neutral content. Participants' voice was recorded in the first session. In the behavioural task, 840 spoken words differing in identity (self/non-self), acoustic quality (undistorted/distorted), and semantic valence (negative/positive/neutral) were presented. Participants indicated if the words were spoken in their own voice, another person's voice, or were unsure. RESULTS Patients were less accurate than controls in the recognition of self-generated speech with negative content only. Impaired recognition of negative self-generated speech was associated with AVH severity ("voices conversing"). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that abnormalities in higher order processes (evaluation of the salience of a speech stimulus) modulate impaired self-other voice discrimination in schizophrenia. Abnormal processing of negative self-generated speech may play a role in the experience of AVH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana P Pinheiro
- a Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry , Harvard Medical School, & Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Brockton V.A. Medical Center Psychiatry , Brockton , MA , USA.,b Neuropsychophysiology Laboratory, CIPsi , School of Psychology, University of Minho , Braga , Portugal.,c Faculty of Psychology , University of Lisbon , Lisbon , Portugal
| | - Neguine Rezaii
- a Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry , Harvard Medical School, & Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Brockton V.A. Medical Center Psychiatry , Brockton , MA , USA
| | - Andréia Rauber
- d Computational Linguistics Department , University of Tübingen , Tübingen , Germany
| | - Margaret Niznikiewicz
- a Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry , Harvard Medical School, & Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Brockton V.A. Medical Center Psychiatry , Brockton , MA , USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
van Ommen MM, van Beilen M, Cornelissen FW, Smid HGOM, Knegtering H, Aleman A, van Laar T. The prevalence of visual hallucinations in non-affective psychosis, and the role of perception and attention. Psychol Med 2016; 46:1735-1747. [PMID: 26984533 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291716000246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about visual hallucinations (VH) in psychosis. We investigated the prevalence and the role of bottom-up and top-down processing in VH. The prevailing view is that VH are probably related to altered top-down processing, rather than to distorted bottom-up processing. Conversely, VH in Parkinson's disease are associated with impaired visual perception and attention, as proposed by the Perception and Attention Deficit (PAD) model. Auditory hallucinations (AH) in psychosis, however, are thought to be related to increased attention. METHOD Our retrospective database study included 1119 patients with non-affective psychosis and 586 controls. The Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences established the VH rate. Scores on visual perception tests [Degraded Facial Affect Recognition (DFAR), Benton Facial Recognition Task] and attention tests [Response Set-shifting Task, Continuous Performance Test-HQ (CPT-HQ)] were compared between 75 VH patients, 706 non-VH patients and 485 non-VH controls. RESULTS The lifetime VH rate was 37%. The patient groups performed similarly on cognitive tasks; both groups showed worse perception (DFAR) than controls. Non-VH patients showed worse attention (CPT-HQ) than controls, whereas VH patients did not perform differently. CONCLUSIONS We did not find significant VH-related impairments in bottom-up processing or direct top-down alterations. However, the results suggest a relatively spared attentional performance in VH patients, whereas face perception and processing speed were equally impaired in both patient groups relative to controls. This would match better with the increased attention hypothesis than with the PAD model. Our finding that VH frequently co-occur with AH may support an increased attention-induced 'hallucination proneness'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M M van Ommen
- Department of Neurology,University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen,The Netherlands
| | - M van Beilen
- Department of Neurology,University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen,The Netherlands
| | - F W Cornelissen
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen,BCN NeuroImaging Center,The Netherlands
| | - H G O M Smid
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen,BCN NeuroImaging Center,The Netherlands
| | - H Knegtering
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen,BCN NeuroImaging Center,The Netherlands
| | - A Aleman
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen,BCN NeuroImaging Center,The Netherlands
| | - T van Laar
- Department of Neurology,University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen,The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Rossi R, Zammit S, Button KS, Munafò MR, Lewis G, David AS. Psychotic Experiences and Working Memory: A Population-Based Study Using Signal-Detection Analysis. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153148. [PMID: 27120349 PMCID: PMC4847914 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychotic Experiences (PEs) during adolescence index increased risk for psychotic disorders and schizophrenia in adult life. Working memory (WM) deficits are a core feature of these disorders. Our objective was to examine the relationship between PEs and WM in a general population sample of young people in a case control study. 4744 individuals of age 17–18 from Bristol and surrounding areas (UK) were analyzed in a cross-sectional study nested within the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) birth cohort study. The dependent variable was PEs, assessed using the semi-structured Psychosis-Like Symptom Interview (PLIKSi). The independent variable was performance on a computerized numerical n-back working memory task. Signal-Detection Theory indices, including standardized hits rate, false alarms rate, discriminability index (d’) and response bias (c) from 2-Back and 3-Back tasks were calculated. 3576 and 3527 individuals had complete data for 2-Back and 3-Back respectively. Suspected/definite PEs prevalence was 7.9% (N = 374). Strongest evidence of association was seen between PEs and false alarms on the 2-Back, (odds ratio (OR) = 1.17 [95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.01, 1.35]) and 3-back (OR = 1.35 [1.18, 1.54]) and with c (OR = 1.59 [1.09, 2.34]), and lower d’ (OR = 0.76 [0.65, 0.89]), on the 3-Back. Adjustment for several potential confounders, including general IQ, drug exposure and different psycho-social factors, and subsequent multiple imputation of missing data did not materially alter the results. WM is impaired in young people with PEs in the general population. False alarms, rather than poor accuracy, are more closely related to PEs. Such impairment is consistent with different neuropsychological models of psychosis focusing on signal-to-noise discrimination, probabilistic reasoning and impaired reality monitoring as a basis of psychotic symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo Rossi
- Section of Psychiatry, University School of Medicine Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Section of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Stanley Zammit
- School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | | | - Marcus R. Munafò
- UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU) at the University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Glyn Lewis
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony S. David
- Section of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Fovet T, Orlov N, Dyck M, Allen P, Mathiak K, Jardri R. Translating Neurocognitive Models of Auditory-Verbal Hallucinations into Therapy: Using Real-time fMRI-Neurofeedback to Treat Voices. Front Psychiatry 2016; 7:103. [PMID: 27445865 PMCID: PMC4921472 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Auditory-verbal hallucinations (AVHs) are frequent and disabling symptoms, which can be refractory to conventional psychopharmacological treatment in more than 25% of the cases. Recent advances in brain imaging allow for a better understanding of the neural underpinnings of AVHs. These findings strengthened transdiagnostic neurocognitive models that characterize these frequent and disabling experiences. At the same time, technical improvements in real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) enabled the development of innovative and non-invasive methods with the potential to relieve psychiatric symptoms, such as fMRI-based neurofeedback (fMRI-NF). During fMRI-NF, brain activity is measured and fed back in real time to the participant in order to help subjects to progressively achieve voluntary control over their own neural activity. Precisely defining the target brain area/network(s) appears critical in fMRI-NF protocols. After reviewing the available neurocognitive models for AVHs, we elaborate on how recent findings in the field may help to develop strong a priori strategies for fMRI-NF target localization. The first approach relies on imaging-based "trait markers" (i.e., persistent traits or vulnerability markers that can also be detected in the presymptomatic and remitted phases of AVHs). The goal of such strategies is to target areas that show aberrant activations during AVHs or are known to be involved in compensatory activation (or resilience processes). Brain regions, from which the NF signal is derived, can be based on structural MRI and neurocognitive knowledge, or functional MRI information collected during specific cognitive tasks. Because hallucinations are acute and intrusive symptoms, a second strategy focuses more on "state markers." In this case, the signal of interest relies on fMRI capture of the neural networks exhibiting increased activity during AVHs occurrences, by means of multivariate pattern recognition methods. The fine-grained activity patterns concomitant to hallucinations can then be fed back to the patients for therapeutic purpose. Considering the potential cost necessary to implement fMRI-NF, proof-of-concept studies are urgently required to define the optimal strategy for application in patients with AVHs. This technique has the potential to establish a new brain imaging-guided psychotherapy for patients that do not respond to conventional treatments and take functional neuroimaging to therapeutic applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Fovet
- Univ Lille, CNRS, UMR-9193, psyCHIC team & CHU Lille, Psychiatry Dpt (CURE), Fontan Hospital , Lille , France
| | - Natasza Orlov
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London , London , UK
| | - Miriam Dyck
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, JARA-Brain, RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany
| | - Paul Allen
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | - Klaus Mathiak
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, JARA-Brain, RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany
| | - Renaud Jardri
- Univ Lille, CNRS, UMR-9193, psyCHIC team & CHU Lille, Psychiatry Dpt (CURE), Fontan Hospital , Lille , France
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Moseley P, Smailes D, Ellison A, Fernyhough C. The effect of auditory verbal imagery on signal detection in hallucination-prone individuals. Cognition 2015; 146:206-16. [PMID: 26435050 PMCID: PMC4675095 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2015.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Revised: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Investigated relation between hallucinations, mental imagery and signal detection. Individuals prone to hallucinations showed a lower SDT response bias with imagery. Finding held for both instructed and self-reported use of auditory verbal imagery. Atypical auditory imagery may lead to the generation of auditory hallucinations.
Cognitive models have suggested that auditory hallucinations occur when internal mental events, such as inner speech or auditory verbal imagery (AVI), are misattributed to an external source. This has been supported by numerous studies indicating that individuals who experience hallucinations tend to perform in a biased manner on tasks that require them to distinguish self-generated from non-self-generated perceptions. However, these tasks have typically been of limited relevance to inner speech models of hallucinations, because they have not manipulated the AVI that participants used during the task. Here, a new paradigm was employed to investigate the interaction between imagery and perception, in which a healthy, non-clinical sample of participants were instructed to use AVI whilst completing an auditory signal detection task. It was hypothesized that AVI-usage would cause participants to perform in a biased manner, therefore falsely detecting more voices in bursts of noise. In Experiment 1, when cued to generate AVI, highly hallucination-prone participants showed a lower response bias than when performing a standard signal detection task, being more willing to report the presence of a voice in the noise. Participants not prone to hallucinations performed no differently between the two conditions. In Experiment 2, participants were not specifically instructed to use AVI, but retrospectively reported how often they engaged in AVI during the task. Highly hallucination-prone participants who retrospectively reported using imagery showed a lower response bias than did participants with lower proneness who also reported using AVI. Results are discussed in relation to prominent inner speech models of hallucinations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Moseley
- Psychology Department, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK; School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, UK.
| | - David Smailes
- Psychology Department, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK; Department of Psychology, Leeds Trinity University, Horsforth, Leeds, LS18 5HD, UK
| | - Amanda Ellison
- Psychology Department, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Charles Fernyhough
- Psychology Department, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
van Elk M. Perceptual Biases in Relation to Paranormal and Conspiracy Beliefs. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0130422. [PMID: 26114604 PMCID: PMC4482736 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that one's prior beliefs have a strong effect on perceptual decision-making and attentional processing. The present study extends these findings by investigating how individual differences in paranormal and conspiracy beliefs are related to perceptual and attentional biases. Two field studies were conducted in which visitors of a paranormal conducted a perceptual decision making task (i.e. the face/house categorization task; Experiment 1) or a visual attention task (i.e. the global/local processing task; Experiment 2). In the first experiment it was found that skeptics compared to believers more often incorrectly categorized ambiguous face stimuli as representing a house, indicating that disbelief rather than belief in the paranormal is driving the bias observed for the categorization of ambiguous stimuli. In the second experiment, it was found that skeptics showed a classical 'global-to-local' interference effect, whereas believers in conspiracy theories were characterized by a stronger 'local-to-global interference effect'. The present study shows that individual differences in paranormal and conspiracy beliefs are associated with perceptual and attentional biases, thereby extending the growing body of work in this field indicating effects of cultural learning on basic perceptual processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michiel van Elk
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Belayachi S, Laloyaux J, Lar I F, Van der Linden M. Internal encoding style and schizotypy: toward a conceptually driven account of positive symptoms. J Pers Disord 2015; 29:303-15. [PMID: 25248012 DOI: 10.1521/pedi_2014_28_157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Perception results from a combination of actual data and interpretive schemata based on preexisting knowledge. Thus, ensuing subjective experience depends on the dynamic interplay between data-driven and conceptually driven processing. A chronic imbalance between these two sources of stimulus encoding is likely to be maladaptive and could underlie cognitive and behavioral disturbances similar to those observed in schizotypy, especially if the balance is tipped too far toward conceptually driven processing (i.e., Internal encoding style). This study aimed to examine the relationships between encoding style and various dimensions of schizotypy by using a questionnaire that evaluates the extent to which preexisting schemata (versus cues from the outside world) affect encoding processes. Consistent with previous findings, the authors' results revealed that both Cognitive-Perceptual and Disorganization dimensions were related to an internal mode of encoding, suggesting that individuals with these features may be characterized by a disposition to biases at early stages of encoding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - J Laloyaux
- 1 Department of Psychology: Cognition and Behaviour, University of Liège, Belgium
| | - F Lar I
- 1 Department of Psychology: Cognition and Behaviour, University of Liège, Belgium
| | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Perona-Garcelán S, Pérez-Álvarez M, García-Montes JM, Cangas AJ. Auditory Verbal Hallucinations as Dialogical Experiences. JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTIVIST PSYCHOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/10720537.2014.938847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|
48
|
García-Montes JM, Pérez-Álvarez M, Odriozola-González P, Vallina-Fernández O, Perona-Garcelán S. The role of magical thinking in hallucinations. Comparisons of clinical and non-clinical groups. Nord J Psychiatry 2014; 68:605-10. [PMID: 24738556 DOI: 10.3109/08039488.2014.902500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Magical thinking consists of accepting the possibility that events that, according to the causal concepts of a culture, cannot have any causal relationship, but might somehow nevertheless have one. Magical thinking has been related to both obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. AIMS The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of magical thinking in hallucinations of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. METHODS Four groups were recruited for this purpose from a clinical population (hallucinating schizophrenic patients, patients diagnosed with psychoses who had never hallucinated, obsessive-compulsive disorder patients and a clinical control group) and a non-clinical control group, who were given the Magical Ideation Scale. RESULTS The results show that magical ideation differentiates the group of schizophrenic patients with auditory hallucinations from the rest of the groups that participated in the design. Items related to "mind reading", to the presence of auditory illusions in response to sound stimuli, and to the sense of sometimes being accompanied by an evil presence are the most closely related to the presence of auditory hallucinations. CONCLUSIONS Magical thinking, understood as beliefs in non-consensual modes of causation, is closely linked to auditory hallucinations in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José M García-Montes
- José M. García-Montes, Psychology Department. University of Almería , Almería, Andalucía , Spain
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Smailes D, Meins E, Fernyhough C. The impact of negative affect on reality discrimination. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2014; 45:389-95. [PMID: 24809623 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2014.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2013] [Revised: 02/24/2014] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES People who experience auditory hallucinations tend to show weak reality discrimination skills, so that they misattribute internal, self-generated events to an external, non-self source. We examined whether inducing negative affect in healthy young adults would increase their tendency to make external misattributions on a reality discrimination task. METHODS Participants (N = 54) received one of three mood inductions (one positive, two negative) and then performed an auditory signal detection task to assess reality discrimination. RESULTS Participants who received either of the two negative inductions made more false alarms, but not more hits, than participants who received the neutral induction, indicating that negative affect makes participants more likely to misattribute internal, self-generated events to an external, non-self source. LIMITATIONS These findings are drawn from an analogue sample, and research that examines whether negative affect also impairs reality discrimination in patients who experience auditory hallucinations is required. CONCLUSIONS These findings show that negative affect disrupts reality discrimination and suggest one way in which negative affect may lead to hallucinatory experiences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Smailes
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Elizabeth Meins
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Charles Fernyhough
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Moseley P, Fernyhough C, Ellison A. The role of the superior temporal lobe in auditory false perceptions: a transcranial direct current stimulation study. Neuropsychologia 2014; 62:202-8. [PMID: 25107678 PMCID: PMC4179889 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2014] [Revised: 07/04/2014] [Accepted: 07/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Neuroimaging has shown that a network of cortical areas, which includes the superior temporal gyrus, is active during auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs). In the present study, healthy, non-hallucinating participants (N=30) completed an auditory signal detection task, in which participants were required to detect a voice in short bursts of white noise, with the variable of interest being the rate of false auditory verbal perceptions. This paradigm was coupled with transcranial direct current stimulation, a noninvasive brain stimulation technique, to test the involvement of the left posterior superior temporal gyrus in the creation of auditory false perceptions. The results showed that increasing the levels of excitability in this region led to a higher rate of ‘false alarm’ responses than when levels of excitability were decreased, with false alarm responses under a sham stimulation condition lying at a mid-point between anodal and cathodal stimulation conditions. There were also corresponding changes in signal detection parameters. These results are discussed in terms of prominent cognitive neuroscientific theories of AVHs, and potential future directions for research are outlined. Investigated role of left STG in false perceptions of voices in white noise. Used noninvasive brain stimulation whilst participants listened to white noise. Tested whether number of false perceptions was affected by stimulation of STG. Higher false alarm rate when excitability increased than when decreased.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Moseley
- Psychology Department, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Charles Fernyhough
- Psychology Department, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Amanda Ellison
- Psychology Department, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| |
Collapse
|