Hallucinations, neuroplasticity, and prediction errors in schizophrenia.
Amanda McCleery, Jonathan K Wynn, Daniel H. Mathalon, Brian J Roach, Michael F Green
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology February 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12413 (opens in new tab)
The journal has published a correction to this paper. Read the correction (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational case-control study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 50 |
| Population | 30 people with schizophrenia (16 with and 14 without recent auditory hallucinations) and 20 healthy comparison participants |
| Measures | roving mismatch negativity (MMN) |
| Topics | Neuroplasticity |
| Keywords | Brain Humans Electroencephalography Acoustic stimulation Schizophrenia Neuropsychological tests Schizophrenic psychology Neuronal plasticity Adult Middle aged Female Psychotic disorders Auditory hallucinations Mismatch negativity Prediction error signaling Roving mmn Short-term neuroplasticity |
| Key findings | People with schizophrenia and recent auditory hallucinations showed an abnormal roving MMN profile and significantly reduced prediction error signaling compared with those without recent hallucinations, plus a trend toward diminished short-term neuroplasticity. The authors argue this supports a predictive coding account in which reduced prediction error signaling underlies hallucinations, and suggest plasticity-mediated updating of predictive models may also be disrupted. |
Abstract
Auditory hallucinations, a hallmark symptom of psychosis, are experienced by most people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia at some point in their illness. Auditory hallucinations can be understood as a failure in predictive coding, whereby abnormalities in sensory/perceptual processing combine with biased cognitive processes to result in a dampening of normal prediction error signaling. In this paper, we used a roving mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm to optimize evaluation of prediction error signaling and short-term neuroplasticity in 30 people with schizophrenia (n = 16 with and n = 14 without recent auditory hallucinations) and 20 healthy comparison participants. The recent hallucinations group exhibited an abnormal roving MMN profile [F(2,27) = 3.98, p = 0.03], significantly reduced prediction error signaling [t(28) = -2.25, p = 0.03], and a trend for diminished short-term neuroplasticity [t(28) = 1.80, p = 0.08]. There were no statistically significant differences between the healthy comparison group and the combined schizophrenia group on any of the roving MMN indices. These findings are consistent with a predictive coding account of hallucinations in schizophrenia, which posits reduced prediction error signaling in those who are prone to hallucinations. These results also suggest that plasticity-mediated formation and online updating of predictive coding models may also be disrupted in individuals with recent hallucinations.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on neuroplasticity, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners Age-matched participants including expert meditators and novices | 2007 | Observational cohort | |
| Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms. Patients with treatment-resistant depression | 2017 | Observational cohort | n = 19 |
| Functional Reorganization of the Default Mode Network across Chronic Pain Conditions Patients with chronic back pain, complex regional pain syndrome, and knee osteoarthritis | 2014 | Observational cohort | |
| State and Training Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Brain Networks Reflect Neuronal Mechanisms of Its Antidepressant Effect Novice meditators | 2016 | Longitudinal study | n = 13 |