Auditory hallucinations: features and correlates

Jyrki Korkeila is a professor of psychiatry and has done previously research among other things on psychoses. Previous MRI-studies have shown loss of gray matter volume in the left temporal lobe among those with chronic auditory hallucinations. During auditory hallucinations similar activity as during the processing of normal auditory information has been found on the left temporal region. Chronic auditory hallucinations seem also to be amenable to fMRI-guided transcranial magnet stimulation therapy.

Korkeila will compare 1) volunteers, who do not meet the criteria of any psychiatric diagnosis and do not report hearing voices, 2) patients, who suffer from schizophrenia and have chronic auditory hallucinations and 3) persons, who participate in the network of voice hearers and who may not have ever used mental health services.

The subjects will be interviewed using Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IVTR (SCID I & II). Additionally, the hallucinations will be assessed using valid and reliable instruments.

 

Bibliography

Ratcliff K, Farhall J, Shawyer F. Auditory hallucinations: a review of assessment tools. Clin Psychol Psychother. 2011 Nov-Dec;18(6):524-34.