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Time Perception and Discrimination in Individuals Suffering from Hallucinations

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The Neuroscience of Hallucinations

Abstract

Hallucinations are perceptual experiences arising in the absence of external stimulation, and that are perceived to be real. Auditory hallucinations have been intensively studied in the last 30 years or so, and different explanations have been proposed. This chapter reviews evidence of timing abnormalities in people with schizophrenia and auditory hallucinations. The first section of this chapter shows that abnormalities in time perception and time discrimination are common in schizophrenia, with difficulties occurring across all timing periods, stimulus modalities, and at all stages of information processing. The second section synthesises different theoretical models of auditory hallucinations, and demonstrates that abnormal timing mechanisms might contribute in a significant way to cognitive difficulties and perceptual distortions that underlie hallucinatory experiences. Timing dysfunctions arise from disruptions to the integrity of neural circuits and neurobiological mechanisms in schizophrenia. A plausible explanation suggests that these might obstruct the normal coordination of internal systems, the integration of bottom–up and top–down processes, and self-monitoring mechanisms linked to hallucinations. Timing problems might also induce distortions in action causation, motivational significance, and higher-order cognitive functions. Altogether, timing abnormalities provide a parsimonious explanation for neural, cognitive, and phenomenological findings in auditory hallucinations.

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Abbreviations

DA:

Dopamine

ERP:

Event-related potential

fMRI:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging

PFC:

Prefrontal cortex

SZ:

Schizophrenia

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Acknowledgment

FW is supported by National Health and Medical Research Grant ID 634328.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Clinical Research in Neuropsychiatry, Graylands Hospital, and The University of Western Australia, 1, Claremont, Perth, WA, 6910, Australia

    Flavie Waters

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  1. Flavie Waters
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Correspondence to Flavie Waters .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University Medical Centre of Lille, Pediatric Psychiatry Department, Fontan Hospital, F-59037, Lille cedex, France

    Renaud Jardri

  2. Sainte-Anne Hospital, Center for Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Université Paris Descartes, 2 ter rue d'Alesia, Paris, F-75014, France

    Arnaud Cachia

  3. University Medical Centre of Lille, Psychiatry Department, Fontan Hospital, rue Verhaeghe, Lille cedex, F-59037, France

    Pierre Thomas

  4. University Medical Centre of Lille, Functional Neurosciences & Disorders Lab, Salengro Hospital, Lille cedex, F-59037, France

    Delphine Pins

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Waters, F. (2013). Time Perception and Discrimination in Individuals Suffering from Hallucinations. In: Jardri, R., Cachia, A., Thomas, P., Pins, D. (eds) The Neuroscience of Hallucinations. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4121-2_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4121-2_11

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