Associations between cortical thickness and auditory verbal hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia: A systematic review.
Güldas Köse, Kasper Jessen, Bjørn H. Ebdrup, Mette Ødegaard Nielsen
Psychiatry research. Neuroimaging December 30, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.10.005 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Schizophrenia patients with auditory verbal hallucinations, as reported across six included magnetic resonance imaging studies |
| Keywords | Cortical thinning Magnetic resonance imaging Research domain criteria |
| Key findings | Across six studies, cortical thickness reduction in schizophrenia patients with auditory verbal hallucinations was most consistently reported in the transverse temporal gyrus (four studies), superior temporal gyrus (three), and middle temporal gyrus (three), regions the authors associate with auditory perception in the Research Domain Criteria cognitive systems domain. Findings in other brain areas were inconsistent, which the authors suggest may reflect uncharacterized differences in hallucination phenomenology and subjective experience. |
Abstract
Auditory verbal hallucinations are common symptoms in schizophrenia patients, and recent magnetic resonance imaging studies have suggested associations between cortical thickness and auditory verbal hallucinations. This article summarises the associations between cortical thickness reduction and auditory verbal hallucinations, conceptualising the findings based on the Research Domain Criteria framework. Six studies identified in a systematic literature search were included in the review. Cortical thickness reductions in schizophrenia patients with auditory verbal hallucinations were reported in the transverse temporal gyrus in four of the studies, in the superior temporal gyrus in three of them, and in the middle temporal gyrus in three of the studies. These regions are collectively associated with auditory perception in the cognitive system domain in the Research Domain Criteria. Findings in other brain areas were inconsistent, which may reflect uncharacterised differences in the phenomenology and subjective experience of auditory verbal hallucinations. Future studies are encouraged to apply the Research Domain Criteria to characterise other putative networks associated with the subjective experience of auditory verbal hallucinations. This approach may facilitate understanding of current inconsistencies between auditory verbal hallucinations and cortical thickness in other brain areas.