Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia.
Am J Psychiatry January 1, 2003 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.160.1.13 via PubMed
Summary
Psychosis in schizophrenia can be understood as a state of aberrant salience, where the brain assigns inappropriate significance to otherwise neutral stimuli. This framework integrates biological, phenomenological, and pharmacological perspectives, suggesting that dysregulated dopamine transmission leads to abnormal attribution of salience, which manifests as delusions and hallucinations. The model provides a unifying account linking neurobiology to subjective experience and informs treatment approaches.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Psychosis in schizophrenia arises from aberrant salience due to dysregulated dopamine transmission, linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology. |
Abstract
Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia.