A working model of neural activity and phenomenal experience in psychosis.
Molecular psychiatry December 1, 2024 Matteo Martino, Paola Magioncalda 13 citations
Psychosis, involving hallucinations and delusions, arises from a combination of sensory system deficits and overactivity in brain networks linked to internal thought, such as the default-mode network. Hallucinations are tied to transient activation in sensory cortices (e.g., superior temporal gyrus) and increased connectivity in associative areas like the temporoparietal junction. Delusions are linked to hyperactivity in the medial prefrontal cortex. These changes cause internally generated imagery to become as vivid as real perceptions, impairing the ability to distinguish reality from imagination, leading to a loss of contact with the environment.