Embodiment and Schizophrenia: A Review of Implications and Applications.
Wolfgang Tschacher, Anne Giersch, Karl Friston
Schizophrenia Bulletin July 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbw220 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Depression |
| Keywords | Humans Communication disorders Motor activity Schizophrenia Cognitive dysfunction Bayesian statistics Psychotherapy Predictive coding Sensorimotor processes Nonverbal synchrony Mind–body relationship |
| Key points | Argues that embodiment—reciprocal causal relationships between mind and body—is a central concept for psychology and cognitive neuroscience, visible in sensorimotor coupling, predictive coding, and nonverbal behavior. Contends that sensorimotor dysfunctions are closely associated with affective and psychotic psychopathology and that social cognition problems in schizophrenia may be reframed as disordered embodied communication, suggesting psychotherapy, body-oriented interventions, and possible diagnostic biomarkers. |
Abstract
In recent decades, embodiment has become an influential concept in psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Embodiment denotes the study of the reciprocal (causal) relationships between mind and body, with the mind not only affecting the body but also vice versa. Embodied cognition comes to the fore in sensorimotor coupling, predictive coding, and nonverbal behavior. Additionally, the embodiment of the mind constitutes the basis of social interaction and communication, as evident in research on nonverbal synchrony and mimicry. These theoretical and empirical developments portend a range of implications for schizophrenia research and treatment. Sensorimotor dysfunctions are closely associated with affective and psychotic psychopathology, leading to altered timing in the processing of stimuli and to disordered appraisals of the environment. Problems of social cognition may be newly viewed as disordered embodied communication. The embodiment perspective suggests novel treatment strategies through psychotherapy and body-oriented interventions, and may ultimately provide biomarkers for diagnosis.
Comparable studies
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| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
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| The Yale Manual for Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy of Depression (using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a Therapeutic Frame) | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Neuroinflammation and neuroprogression in depression: Effects of alternative drug treatments | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Improving cognitive functioning in major depressive disorder with psychedelics: A dimensional approach | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- Hallucinations Beyond Voices: A Conceptual Review of the Phenomenology of Altered Perception in Psychosis. Schizophrenia Bulletin February 1, 2019
- Philosophy of psychiatry: theoretical advances and clinical implications. World Psychiatry June 1, 2024
- Is Schizophrenia a Disorder of Consciousness? Experimental and Phenomenological Support for Anomalous Unconscious Processing. Frontiers in Psychology 2017
- Socializing Sensorimotor Contingencies. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2021
- Imagination and Self Disorders in Schizophrenia: A Review. Psychopathology 2020
and 5 more in the library
Cites 12
- Interoceptive inference, emotion, and the embodied self Trends in Cognitive Sciences October 12, 2013
- The crisis of minimal self-awareness in schizophrenia: a meta-analytic review. Schizophrenia Research 2014
- Temporal structure of consciousness and minimal self in schizophrenia. Frontiers in Psychology 2014
- Thought insertion as a self-disturbance: An integration of predictive coding and phenomenological approaches Frontiers in Human Neuroscience December 22, 2016
- How to Link Brain and Experience? Spatiotemporal Psychopathology of the Lived Body. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience April 28, 2016
and 7 more in the library