Perceptual biases and metacognition and their association with anomalous self experiences in first episode psychosis.
Abigail Wright, Barnaby Nelson, David Fowler, Kathryn Greenwood
Consciousness and cognition January 1, 2020 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2019.102847 via PubMed
Summary
Increased auditory perceptual biases are linked to heightened anomalous self-experiences, such as feelings of alienation and emotional numbing, in individuals with First Episode Psychosis (FEP). The study involved 58 FEP participants and 72 healthy controls. However, no significant relationship was found between metacognitive efficiency and anomalous experiences. These results may support the minimal self-disturbance model related to schizophrenia spectrum vulnerabilities.
Study at a glance
| Design | cross-sectional study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 130 |
| Population | individuals with First Episode Psychosis and matched healthy controls |
| Key finding | Increased auditory perceptual biases are significantly associated with increased anomalous self-experiences in individuals with First Episode Psychosis. |
Abstract
Anomalous self-experiences have been described as a prerequisite for anomalous perceptual experiences. Later, these anomalous perceptual experiences may then be metacognitively appraised as distressing, maintaining these experiences and later leading to anomalous (delusional) beliefs. This model of anomalous events may potentially be driven by perceptual biases and metacognitive deficits. This cross-sectional study explored the association between perceptual biases, metacognition and anomalous self- and perceptual experiences and delusional beliefs in First Episode Psychosis (FEP) and a matched healthy control sample. Fifty-eight individuals with FEP and seventy-two healthy controls were included in the main analysis. Increased auditory perceptual biases were significantly associated with increased state and trait anomalous self-experiences, in particular alienation from surroundings and emotional numbing. No significant associations were found between metacognitive efficiency and anomalous experiences. These findings may be consistent with the minimal self-disturbance model of schizophrenia spectrum vulnerability, particularly with the hyperreflexivity concept.