 |
|
Hallucinations in schizophrenia linked to brain area that processes voices
July 31, 2007OAK BROOK, Ill. -- For the first time, researchers using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have found both structural and functional abnormalities in specific brain regions of schizophrenic patients who experience chronic auditory hallucinations, according to a study published in the August issue of Radiology.
"The results showed abnormalities in specific areas of the brain associated with the capacity to process human voices,"� said lead author, Luis Martí-Bonmatí, M.D., Ph.D., chief of magnetic resonance in the Department of Radiology at Dr. Peset University Hospital in Valencia, Spain.
Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe and disabling brain disorder that affects approximately 1 percent of the global population, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. People with schizophrenia often experience hallucinations, delusional thoughts, paranoia, disorganized thinking and other cognitive difficulties. Although the cause of schizophrenia has not been determined, it is believed to result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. The condition is treatable, but there is no cure.
"Developing a clear understanding of the pathological abnormalities associated with schizophrenia is one of the greatest challenges in psychiatry,"� Dr. Martí-Bonmatí said. "Using MRI to mark brain regions that are affected in both structure and function will help pinpoint specific abnormalities associated with the disease and ultimately enable more effective treatment."�
The researchers studied 31 right-handed men, 21 with schizophrenia who suffered from persistent auditory hallucinations and 10 healthy controls. Morphological MR images were acquired to show abnormalities in brain structure while functional MRI was used to gauge brain response to various emotional and neutral stimuli.
Among the schizophrenic patients, the results showed functional abnormalities and corresponding gray matter deficits in several brain regions associated with regulating emotion and processing human voices.
"We hope that by evaluating combined structural and functional abnormalities in the brains of these patients, we may uncover biological markers to find candidates for specific treatments and better monitor patient response to those treatments,"� Dr. Martí-Bonmatí said.
Radiological Society of North America
"Developing a clear understanding of the pathological abnormalities associated with schizophrenia is one of the greatest challenges in psychiatry,"� Dr. Martí-Bonmatí said. "Using MRI to mark brain regions that are affected in both structure and function will help pinpoint specific abnormalities associated with the disease and ultimately enable more effective treatment."�
The researchers studied 31 right-handed men, 21 with schizophrenia who suffered from persistent auditory hallucinations and 10 healthy controls. Morphological MR images were acquired to show abnormalities in brain structure while functional MRI was used to gauge brain response to various emotional and neutral stimuli.
Among the schizophrenic patients, the results showed functional abnormalities and corresponding gray matter deficits in several brain regions associated with regulating emotion and processing human voices.
"We hope that by evaluating combined structural and functional abnormalities in the brains of these patients, we may uncover biological markers to find candidates for specific treatments and better monitor patient response to those treatments,"� Dr. Martí-Bonmatí said.
Radiological Society of North America
Hallucinations Current Events and Hallucinations News RSSNew candidate genes for schizophrenia identified
Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disease characterized by disorganized behavior, delusions and hallucinations. Sadly, there is no clear understanding of its cause.
New way to help schizophrenia sufferers' social skills
Researchers from the University of Newcastle are investigating a new way to help schizophrenia patients develop their communication and social skills.
How carrots help us see the color orange
One of the easiest ways to identify an object is by its color -- perhaps it is because children's books encourage us to pair certain objects with their respective colors. Why else would so many of us automatically assume carrots are orange, grass is green and apples are red?
Lack of motivation in schizophrenia linked to brain chemical imbalance
A study of patients with psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia suggests an alternative explanation for why many sufferers lack motivation. The research is described today BioMed Central's journal BMC Psychiatry.
Haunted by hallucinations: Children in the PICU traumatized by delusions
Nearly one in three children admitted to pediatric intensive care will experience delusions or hallucinations, which put them at higher risk for post-traumatic stress symptoms, according to a new study of children's experiences in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).
Absinthe uncorked: The 'Green Fairy' was boozy -- but not psychedelic
A new study may end the century-old controversy over what ingredient in absinthe caused the exotic green aperitif's supposed mind-altering effects and toxic side-effects when consumed to excess.
Brookhaven Scientists Explore Brain's Reaction to Potent Hallucinogen
Brain-imaging studies performed in animals at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory provide researchers with clues about why an increasingly popular recreational drug that causes hallucinations and motor-function impairment in humans is abused.
Treatment With An Antipsychotic Drug Found To Cause Changes In Metabolism Earlier Than Expected
Schizophrenia is a complex type of psychotic mental illness characterized by thoughts that are uncoupled from reality.
Researchers link genetic errors to schizophrenia
A team of researchers at the University of Washington and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories has uncovered genetic errors that may shed light on the causes of schizophrenia.
A new mouse model of mania
Bipolar Disorder (BPD or manic-depressive illness) is one of the most serious of all mental disorders, affecting millions of individuals worldwide.
More Hallucinations Current Events and Hallucinations News Articles
 | True Hallucinations: Being an Account of the Author's Extraordinary Adventures in the Devil's Paradis by Terence McKenna This mesmerizing, surreal account of the bizarre adventures of Terence McKenna, his brother Dennis, and a small band of their friends, is a wild ride of exotic experience and scientific inquiry. Exploring the Amazon Basin in search of mythical shamanic hallucinogens, they encounter a host of unusual characters -- including a mushroom, a flying saucer, pirate Mantids from outer space, an... |
 | Hallucinations: The Science of Idiosyncratic Perception by Andre Aleman, Frank Laroi Hearing voices when nobody speaks or seeing objects no one else sees--hallucinations are intriguing phenomena that have puzzled clinicians, researchers, and lay people alike for centuries. In this book, authors André Aleman and Frank Larøi review the latest research on the cognitive and neural bases of hallucinations and outline their unique neurobiology by drawing on evidence from brain... |
 | Hallucinations And Illusions: A Study Of The Fallacies Of Perception by Edmund Parish This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our... |
 | Requiem: A Hallucination by Antonio Tabucchi A private meeting, chance encounters, and a mysterious tour of Lisbon, in this brilliant homage to Fernando Pessoa. In this enchanting and evocative novel, Antonio Tabucchi takes the reader on a dream-like trip to Portugal, a country he is deeply attached to. He spent many years there as director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Lisbon. He even wrote Requiem in Portuguese; it had to be... |
 | Muses, Madmen, and Prophets: Rethinking the History, Science, and Meaning of Auditory Hallucination by Daniel B. Smith The strange history of auditory hallucination throughout the ages, and its power to shed light on the mysterious inner source of pure faith and unadulterated inspiration. Auditory hallucination is one of the most awe-inspiring, terrifying, and ill-understood tricks the human psyche is capable of. Muses, Madmen, and Prophets reevaluates the popular conception of the phenomenon today and through... |
 | Voices of Reason, Voices of Insanity: Studies of Verbal Hallucinations by Ivan Leuder (Routledge) Univ. of Manchester, UK. Examines almost 2,800 years of reports of people 'hearing voices,' and presents an understanding of the experience and how it may have changed over the millennia. Uses six studies to demonstrate how the experience has changed from being a sign of virtue to a sign of insanity. For students, researchers, and clinicians. Softcover, hardcover also... |
 | At the Damascus Gate: Short Hallucinations (Green Integer) by Elana Greenfield "Elana Greenfield and the English language use each other beautifully. She makes little plays, stories long and short. The short ones, on another day, might have been poems. She is a lovely, lively writer."-Grace PaleyThis new collection of dramatic short tales is a remarkable first work by dramatist Elana Greenfield. In these stories, the author peers into the supernatural with passion, humor,... |
 | The Comfort of Home for Alzheimer's Disease: A Guide for Caregivers (The Comfort of Home) by Maria M. Meyer, Mary Mittelman, Cynthia Epstein, Paula Derr Alzheimer's disease does not play favorites; it affects people of every income and education level. This increasingly common condition robs patients' cognitive and functional abilities, forcing caregivers to be on duty 24 hours a day. Consequently, Alxheimer's often takes a serious, unexpected toll on those who nurse the patient, inflicting significant emotional distress, depression, and... |
 | Tex[t]-Mex: Seductive Hallucinations of the "Mexican" in America by William Anthony Nericcio "Marvels! Rompecabezas! And cartoons that bite into the mind appear throughout this long-awaited book that promises to reshape and refocus how we see Mexicans in the Americas and how we are taught and seduced to mis/understand our human potentials for solidarity. This is the closest Latin@ studies has come to a revolutionary vision of how American culture works through its image machines, a... |
 | Voices in the Brain: The Cognitive Neuropsychiatry of Auditory Verbal Hallucinations (Cognitive Neuropsychiatry) by Sean Spence For millennia, human beings have reported hearing 'voices'. These experiences have been a source of fascination, sometimes because they spoke of revelation, sometimes because they presaged madness and destruction. From Socrates to the Yorkshire to the Yorkshire Ripper, the impact of voices upon human society has been considerable. But after all this time what can we really say about their causes,... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |