Abstract
Background: Previous studies have reported significant correlations, indicating an
emerging relationship, between severity of auditory hallucinations and reduced size
of temporal lobe cortical regions implicated in language processing. The present study
used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning, along with assessment
of functional lateralization via a dichotic listening task (DLT), to extend these
findings.
Methods: Thirty patients with schizophrenia and a history of auditory hallucinations
participated in the study. All were completely right-handed. Eleven subjects were
currently hallucinating at the time of the study. Volumetric T1-weighted MRI scans
were obtained and regions of interest were manually traced using the BRAINS package
(
Andreasen et al 1993
). Whole brain, bilateral temporal lobe, and anterior superior temporal gyrus volumes
were calculated. Subjects completed a binaural consonant–vowel DLT.Results: Increased severity of hallucinatory experience was significantly associated
with smaller left anterior superior temporal gyrus volumes. Current hallucinators
demonstrated a reduction in right ear advantage on the DLT.
Conclusions: The results suggest that auditory hallucinations are subserved by a trait-like
dysfunction in language-related neural networks, of which the superior temporal cortex
forms one component. The findings are also consistent with theories proposing abnormal
lateralization in the etiology of auditory hallucinations.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
November 19,
1998
Received in revised form:
November 12,
1998
Received:
August 29,
1997
Identification
Copyright
© 1999 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
