Dopaminergic function in the psychosis spectrum: an [18F]-DOPA imaging study in healthy individuals with auditory hallucinations.
Schizophr Bull January 26, 2012 Oliver D. Howes, Paul Shotbolt, Michael Bloomfield et al. 94 citations
Auditory hallucinations in healthy individuals are associated with altered dopamine function in the brain. Using [18F]-DOPA PET imaging, the study found that healthy people who experience auditory hallucinations show differences in dopaminergic activity compared to those who do not, suggesting that dopamine dysfunction may be a trait marker along the psychosis spectrum. The findings indicate that even in the absence of a clinical diagnosis, hallucination proneness is linked to measurable neurochemical variations.