Perception of Voices That Do Not ExistNeuronal Mechanisms in Clinical and Non-Clinical Hallucinations

2018 ◽  
pp. 830-854
Author(s):  
Kristiina Kompus ◽  
Kenneth Hugdahl
Keyword(s):  
Speech Processing ◽  
Auditory Perception ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Hearing Voices ◽  
Auditory Verbal Hallucinations ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
Neural Underpinnings ◽  
Perceptual Phenomenon

Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) consist of hearing voices that are not physically present. This perceptual phenomenon is of increasing interest for many research fields. In psychiatric patients, negative and distressing AVH reduce the quality of life, and understanding the mechanisms causing AVH is relevant for advancing clinical interventions. The cognitive and neural mechanisms of AVH are also of interest for research into neural underpinnings of speech processing. This chapter reviews theories of AVH and gives an overview of the main findings from behavioural and neuroimaging studies on individuals with AVH. Individuals who experience AVH show structural changes to auditory perception regions in the superior temporal lobes, as well as altered structural and functional connectivity patterns between auditory perception areas and other brain regions. The active ‘state’ of AVH is associated with increased neural activity in the primary and secondary auditory areas. Taken together, AVH are a perceptual phenomenon that represents a dysfunctional bottom-up activity in the temporal lobe auditory perception region, and altered connectivity with the areas responsible for implementing top-down control in the frontal cortex.

scholarly journals Auditory hallucinations activate language and verbal short-term memory, but not auditory, brain regions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Fuentes-Claramonte ◽  
Joan Soler-Vidal ◽  
Pilar Salgado-Pineda ◽  
María Ángeles García-León ◽  
Nuria Ramiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Hearing Voices ◽  
Auditory Verbal Hallucinations ◽  
Cognitive Influences ◽  
Novel Variant ◽  
Capture Technique

AbstractAuditory verbal hallucinations (AVH, ‘hearing voices’) are an important symptom of schizophrenia but their biological basis is not well understood. One longstanding approach proposes that they are perceptual in nature, specifically that they reflect spontaneous abnormal neuronal activity in the auditory cortex, perhaps with additional ‘top down’ cognitive influences. Functional imaging studies employing the symptom capture technique—where activity when patients experience AVH is compared to times when they do not—have had mixed findings as to whether the auditory cortex is activated. Here, using a novel variant of the symptom capture technique, we show that the experience of AVH does not induce auditory cortex activation, even while real speech does, something that effectively rules out all theories that propose a perceptual component to AVH. Instead, we find that the experience of AVH activates language regions and/or regions that are engaged during verbal short-term memory.

Speech processing in voice-hearers: Bridging the gap between empirical research and clinical implications

2021 ◽  
pp. 000486742110683
Author(s):  
Sophie E Richards ◽  
Sean P Carruthers ◽  
David J Castle ◽  
Susan L Rossell
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Research ◽  
Speech Processing ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Effective Communication ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Hearing Voices ◽  
Auditory Verbal Hallucinations ◽  
Processing Deficits

Individuals who hear voices (i.e. auditory verbal hallucinations) have been reported to exhibit a range of difficulties when listening to and processing the speech of other people. These speech processing challenges are observed even in the absence of hearing voices; however, some appear to be exacerbated during periods of acute symptomology. In this advisory piece, key findings from pertinent empirical research into external speech processing in voice-hearers are presented with the intention of informing healthcare professionals. It is the view that through a better understanding of the speech processing deficits faced by individuals who hear voices, more effective communication with such patients can be had.

Neural Underpinnings of Numerical and Spatial Cognition: An fMRI Meta-Analysis of Brain Regions Associated with Symbolic Number, Arithmetic, and Mental Rotation

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Hawes ◽  
H Moriah Sokolowski ◽  
Chuka Bosah Ononye ◽  
Daniel Ansari
Keyword(s):  
Mental Rotation ◽  
Parietal Lobe ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Number Representation ◽  
Neural Underpinnings ◽  
The Right ◽  
Symbolic Number

Where and under what conditions do spatial and numerical skills converge and diverge in the brain? To address this question, we conducted a meta-analysis of brain regions associated with basic symbolic number processing, arithmetic, and mental rotation. We used Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) to construct quantitative meta-analytic maps synthesizing results from 86 neuroimaging papers (~ 30 studies/cognitive process). All three cognitive processes were found to activate bilateral parietal regions in and around the intraparietal sulcus (IPS); a finding consistent with shared processing accounts. Numerical and arithmetic processing were associated with overlap in the left angular gyrus, whereas mental rotation and arithmetic both showed activity in the middle frontal gyri. These patterns suggest regions of cortex potentially more specialized for symbolic number representation and domain-general mental manipulation, respectively. Additionally, arithmetic was associated with unique activity throughout the fronto-parietal network and mental rotation was associated with unique activity in the right superior parietal lobe. Overall, these results provide new insights into the intersection of numerical and spatial thought in the human brain.

scholarly journals Antagonism between brain regions relevant for cognitive control and emotional memory facilitates the generation of humorous ideas

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Bitsch ◽  
Philipp Berger ◽  
Andreas Fink ◽  
Arne Nagels ◽  
Benjamin Straube ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Emotional Memory ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Frontal Brain ◽  
Successful Resolution ◽  
Neural Underpinnings ◽  
The Brain

AbstractThe ability to generate humor gives rise to positive emotions and thus facilitate the successful resolution of adversity. Although there is consensus that inhibitory processes might be related to broaden the way of thinking, the neural underpinnings of these mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we use functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a humorous alternative uses task and a stroop task, to investigate the brain mechanisms underlying the emergence of humorous ideas in 24 subjects. Neuroimaging results indicate that greater cognitive control abilities are associated with increased activation in the amygdala, the hippocampus and the superior and medial frontal gyrus during the generation of humorous ideas. Examining the neural mechanisms more closely shows that the hypoactivation of frontal brain regions is associated with an hyperactivation in the amygdala and vice versa. This antagonistic connectivity is concurrently linked with an increased number of humorous ideas and enhanced amygdala responses during the task. Our data therefore suggests that a neural antagonism previously related to the emergence and regulation of negative affective responses, is linked with the generation of emotionally positive ideas and may represent an important neural pathway supporting mental health.

scholarly journals Gray-Matter Expansion of Social Brain Networks in Individuals High in Public Self-Consciousness

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 374
Author(s):  
Tomoyo Morita ◽  
Minoru Asada ◽  
Eiichi Naito
Keyword(s):  
Gray Matter ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Brain Networks ◽  
Japanese Version ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
The Self ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
Default Mode ◽  
Public Self Consciousness

Self-consciousness is a personality trait associated with an individual’s concern regarding observable (public) and unobservable (private) aspects of self. Prompted by previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, we examined possible gray-matter expansions in emotion-related and default mode networks in individuals with higher public or private self-consciousness. One hundred healthy young adults answered the Japanese version of the Self-Consciousness Scale (SCS) questionnaire and underwent structural MRI. A voxel-based morphometry analysis revealed that individuals scoring higher on the public SCS showed expansions of gray matter in the emotion-related regions of the cingulate and insular cortices and in the default mode network of the precuneus and medial prefrontal cortex. In addition, these gray-matter expansions were particularly related to the trait of “concern about being evaluated by others”, which was one of the subfactors constituting public self-consciousness. Conversely, no relationship was observed between gray-matter volume in any brain regions and the private SCS scores. This is the first study showing that the personal trait of concern regarding public aspects of the self may cause long-term substantial structural changes in social brain networks.

scholarly journals Cortical structural differences in major depressive disorder correlate with cell type-specific transcriptional signatures

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiao Li ◽  
Jakob Seidlitz ◽  
John Suckling ◽  
Feiyang Fan ◽  
Gong-Jun Ji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Structural Differences ◽  
Neuroimaging Data ◽  
Cell Type Specific

AbstractMajor depressive disorder (MDD) has been shown to be associated with structural abnormalities in a variety of spatially diverse brain regions. However, the correlation between brain structural changes in MDD and gene expression is unclear. Here, we examine the link between brain-wide gene expression and morphometric changes in individuals with MDD, using neuroimaging data from two independent cohorts and a publicly available transcriptomic dataset. Morphometric similarity network (MSN) analysis shows replicable cortical structural differences in individuals with MDD compared to control subjects. Using human brain gene expression data, we observe that the expression of MDD-associated genes spatially correlates with MSN differences. Analysis of cell type-specific signature genes suggests that microglia and neuronal specific transcriptional changes account for most of the observed correlation with MDD-specific MSN differences. Collectively, our findings link molecular and structural changes relevant for MDD.

A tribute to Johann Gottlieb Burckhardt-Heussler (1836–1907), the pioneer of psychosurgery

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S553-S553 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Arts ◽  
P. Michielsen ◽  
S. Petrykiv ◽  
L. de Jonge
Keyword(s):  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Medical Community ◽  
Psychiatric Illnesses ◽  
Scientific Papers ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
Chronic Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Deep Brain

IntroductionJohann Gottlieb Burckhardt-Heussler was a Swiss psychiatrist, who pioneered controversial psychosurgical procedures. Burckhardt-Heussler extirpated various brain regions from six chronic psychiatric patients under his care. By removing cortical tissue he aimed to relieve the patients of symptoms, including agitation, rather than effect a cure.ObjectivesTo present the scientific papers of Johann Gottlieb Burckhardt-Heussler on psychosurgery.AimsTo review available literature and to show evidence that Burckhardt-Heussler made a significant contribution to the development of psychosurgery.MethodsA biography and private papers are presented and discussed, followed by a literature review.ResultsThe theoretical basis of Burckhardt-Heussler's psychosurgical procedure was influenced by the zeitgeist and based on his belief that psychiatric illnesses were the result of specific brain lesions. His findings were ignored by scientists to make them disappear into the mists of time, while the details of his experiments became murky. Decades later, it was the American neurologist Walter Freeman II, performing prefrontal lobotomies since 1936, who found it inconceivable that the medical community had forgotten Burckhardt-Heussler and who conceded that he was familiar with, and probably even influenced by, Burckhardt's work.ConclusionIt is partly thanks to Burckhardt-Heussler's pioneering work that modern psychosurgery has gradually evolved from irreversible ablation to reversible stimulation techniques, including deep brain stimulation.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Assessment of brain reference genes for RT-qPCR studies in neurodegenerative diseases

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasmus Rydbirk ◽  
Jonas Folke ◽  
Kristian Winge ◽  
Susana Aznar ◽  
Bente Pakkenberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Reference Genes ◽  
Target Gene ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Quantitative Real Time Pcr ◽  
Human Brain Tissue ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Gene Expression Levels

Abstract Evaluation of gene expression levels by reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) has for many years been the favourite approach for discovering disease-associated alterations. Normalization of results to stably expressed reference genes (RGs) is pivotal to obtain reliable results. This is especially important in relation to neurodegenerative diseases where disease-related structural changes may affect the most commonly used RGs. We analysed 15 candidate RGs in 98 brain samples from two brain regions from Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Multiple System Atrophy, and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy patients. Using RefFinder, a web-based tool for evaluating RG stability, we identified the most stable RGs to be UBE2D2, CYC1, and RPL13 which we recommend for future RT-qPCR studies on human brain tissue from these patients. None of the investigated genes were affected by experimental variables such as RIN, PMI, or age. Findings were further validated by expression analyses of a target gene GSK3B, known to be affected by AD and PD. We obtained high variations in GSK3B levels when contrasting the results using different sets of common RG underlining the importance of a priori validation of RGs for RT-qPCR studies.

REMARRIAGES IN CONTEMPORARY POLAND. A DEMOGRAPHIC SKETCH

2021 ◽  
Vol 568 (7) ◽  
pp. 5-12
Author(s):  
Piotr Szukalski
Keyword(s):  
Structural Changes ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Important Task ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
Civil Status

A stabile number on newly contracted marriages in Poland prior 2020, hides deep structural changes defined in terms of civil status of newlyweds. In the last fifteen years a rapid increase in proportion of remarriages is observed, i.e. marriages with at least one nupturient being earlier married. An aim of the article is to describe the mentioned above changes and to explain factors affecting the trend. An important task is also to indicate missing research fields related to demographic and social consequences of the change.

scholarly journals Experience, but not age, is associated with volumetric mushroom body expansion in solitary alkali bees

2021 ◽  
pp. jeb.238899
Author(s):  
Mallory A. Hagadorn ◽  
Makenna M. Johnson ◽  
Adam R. Smith ◽  
Marc A. Seid ◽  
Karen M. Kapheim
Keyword(s):  
Structural Changes ◽  
Evolutionary Relationship ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Mushroom Bodies ◽  
Order Processing ◽  
Social Species ◽  
Evolution Of Sociality ◽  
Foraging Experience ◽  
Brain Changes ◽  
The Brain

In social insects, changes in behavior are often accompanied by structural changes in the brain. This neuroplasticity may come with experience (experience-dependent) or age (experience-expectant). Yet, the evolutionary relationship between neuroplasticity and sociality is unclear, because we know little about neuroplasticity in the solitary relatives of social species. We used confocal microscopy to measure brain changes in response to age and experience in a solitary halictid bee (Nomia melanderi). First, we compared the volume of individual brain regions among newly-emerged females, laboratory females deprived of reproductive and foraging experience, and free-flying, nesting females. Experience, but not age, led to significant expansion of the mushroom bodies—higher-order processing centers associated with learning and memory. Next, we investigated how social experience influences neuroplasticity by comparing the brains of females kept in the laboratory either alone or paired with another female. Paired females had significantly larger olfactory regions of the mushroom bodies. Together, these experimental results indicate that experience-dependent neuroplasticity is common to both solitary and social taxa, whereas experience-expectant neuroplasticity may be an adaptation to life in a social colony. Further, neuroplasticity in response to social chemical signals may have facilitated the evolution of sociality.

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