40% of schizophrenia patients hear voices – New study reveals why
Reviewed by Steve Fink
SHANGHAI — In the silent world of thought, some hear voices. Scientists have long puzzled over the origins of auditory hallucinations, a symptom that affects many with schizophrenia. A recent study from researchers in China and the United States may have cracked a crucial part of this longstanding enigma, potentially paving the way for better treatments and understanding of this often-misunderstood condition.
Study authors conclude that auditory hallucinations may result from a combination of two distinct impairments in the brain’s ability to process and predict sensory information. Their findings, published in the journal PLOS Biology, suggest that these hallucinations arise from a complex interplay between motor and sensory systems in the brain rather than simply being a product of overactive imagination or sensory processing gone awry.