The neurophenomenology of early psychosis: An integrative empirical study.
Barnaby Nelson, Suzie Lavoie, Łukasz Gawęda, E. Li, Louis Sass, Danny Koren, Patrick D. Mcgorry, Bradley N Jack, Josef Parnas, Andrea Polari, Kelly Allott, Jessica A Hartmann, Thomas J Whitford
Consciousness and Cognition November 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2019.102845 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 123 |
| Population | Ultra-high risk for psychosis patients, first episode psychosis patients, and healthy controls |
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Citations | 99 |
| Key findings | Source monitoring deficits explained 39.8% of the variance in minimal self-disturbance scores, while aberrant salience explained only 6% and was more related to positive psychotic symptoms. |
Abstract
BackgroundThe integration of various domains or levels of analysis (clinical, neurobiological, genetic, etc.) has been a challenge in schizophrenia research. A promising approach is to use the core phenomenological features of the disorder as an organising principle for other levels of analysis. Minimal self-disturbance (fragility in implicit first-person perspective, presence and agency) is emerging as a strong candidate to play this role. This approach was adopted in a previously described theoretical neurophenomenological model that proposed that source monitoring deficits and aberrant salience may be neurocognitive/neurobiological processes that correlate with minimal self-disturbance on the phenomenological level, together playing an aetiological role in the onset of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The current paper presents full cross-sectional data from the first empirical test of this model.MethodsFifty ultra-high risk for psychosis patients, 39 first episode psychosis patients and 34 healthy controls were assessed with a variety of clinical measures, including the Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience (EASE), and neurocognitive and neurophysiological (EEG) measures of source monitoring deficits and aberrant salience.ResultsLinear regression indicated that source monitoring (composite score across neurocognitive and neurophysiological measures), with study group as an interaction term, explained 39.8% of the variance in EASE scores (R2 = 0.41, F(3,85) = 14.78, p < 0.001), whereas aberrant salience (composite score) explained only 6% of the variance in EASE scores (R2 = 0.06, F(3,85) = 1.44, p = 0.93). Aberrant salience measures were more strongly related to general psychopathology measures, particularly to positive psychotic symptoms, than to EASE scores.DiscussionA neurophenomenological model of minimal self-disturbance in schizophrenia spectrum disorders may need to be expanded from source monitoring deficits to encompass other relevant constructs such as temporal processing, intermodal/multisensory integration, and hierarchical predictive processing. The cross-sectional data reported here will be expanded with longitudinal analysis in subsequent reports. These data and other related recent research show an emerging picture of neuro-features of core phenomenological aspects of schizophrenia spectrum disorders beyond surface-level psychotic symptoms.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey of entity encounter experiences occasioned by inhaled N,N-dimethyltryptamine: Phenomenology, interpretation, and enduring effects. People who had a memorable entity encounter after taking N,N-dimethyltryptamine | 2020 | Survey | n = 2,561 |
| Future directions in meditation research: Recommendations for expanding the field of contemplative science Meditators | 2018 | Cross-sectional online survey | n = 1,120 |
| The Phenomenology of Lucid Dreaming: An Online Survey Respondents to an online survey about lucid dreams | 2014 | Online survey | n = 684 |
| Spontaneous Spiritual Awakenings: Phenomenology, Altered States, Individual Differences, and Well-Being People reporting their most powerful Spontaneous Spiritual or Kundalini Awakening | 2021 | Mixed within and between-participants self-report survey design | n = 152 |
| The Phenomenology and Psychological Correlates of Verbal Prayer Members of a non-denominational program called A Search For God, including both members... | 1991 | Survey | n = 345 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 18
- Taking subjectivity seriously: towards a unification of phenomenology, psychiatry, and neuroscience. Molecular Psychiatry 2023
- Disordered Selfhood in Schizophrenia and the Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience: Accumulated Evidence and Experience. Psychopathology 2021
- Schizophrenia and the bodily self. Schizophrenia Research July 1, 2024
- Towards a Neurophenomenological Understanding of Self-Disorder in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Anatomical, Physiological, and Neurocognitive Findings Brain Sciences May 23, 2023
- Transdiagnostic conceptualization of schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. An integrative framework of minimal self disturbance
and 13 more in the library
Cites 26
- Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry 2003
- An Interoceptive Predictive Coding Model of Conscious Presence Frontiers in Psychology 2012
- From dopamine to salience to psychosis--linking biology, pharmacology and phenomenology of psychosis. Schizophrenia Research November 1, 2005
- Stress Sensitivity, Aberrant Salience, and Threat Anticipation in Early Psychosis: An Experience Sampling Study Schizophrenia Bulletin February 1, 2016
- Self‐experience in the early phases of schizophrenia: 5‐year follow‐up of the Copenhagen Prodromal Study World Psychiatry October 1, 2011
and 21 more in the library