Mimicking effects of auditory verbal hallucinations on language production at the level of words, sentences and stories

Schizophrenia is characterised foremost by hallucinations, delusions and disorganised speech. Deficits in the internal speech monitor may contribute to the development of auditory-verbal hallucinations. This study investigates potential effects in the opposite direction: could the presence of audito...

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Main Authors: Stefan Heim, Stella Polyak, Katja Hußmann
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-11-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1017865/full
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author Stefan Heim
Stefan Heim
Stefan Heim
Stella Polyak
Katja Hußmann
author_facet Stefan Heim
Stefan Heim
Stefan Heim
Stella Polyak
Katja Hußmann
author_sort Stefan Heim
collection DOAJ
description Schizophrenia is characterised foremost by hallucinations, delusions and disorganised speech. Deficits in the internal speech monitor may contribute to the development of auditory-verbal hallucinations. This study investigates potential effects in the opposite direction: could the presence of auditory-verbal hallucinations have an effect on speech production? To this end, a recent mimicking/simulation approach was adopted for 40 healthy participants who perceived either white noise or hallucination-like speech recordings during different language production tasks with increasing demands: picture naming, verbal fluency with and without category switch, sentence production, and discourse. In line with reports about real schizophrenia cases in the literature, mimicking auditory-verbal hallucinations affected verbal fluency (switch condition) and sentence production (duration) in a different way than mere noise. These effects were not correlated, suggesting that hallucinations may even affect different levels of linguistic complexity in different ways. Anyway, in both cases (mimicked), auditory hallucination appear to contribute to the emergence of disordered speech. The mimicking/simulation paradigm may in future help to identify and disentangle the various factors contributing to disorganised speech in schizophrenia. They may also support the development and implementation of new protocols, e.g., in speech and language therapy in persons with schizophrenia in order to improve their communication skills despite the presence of auditory-verbal hallucinations.
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spelling doaj.art-d8ce23ac24064da6b006695123efb53d2022-12-22T04:35:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-11-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.10178651017865Mimicking effects of auditory verbal hallucinations on language production at the level of words, sentences and storiesStefan Heim0Stefan Heim1Stefan Heim2Stella Polyak3Katja Hußmann4Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, GermanyDepartment of Neurology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, GermanyDepartment of Neurology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, GermanyDepartment of Neurology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, GermanySchizophrenia is characterised foremost by hallucinations, delusions and disorganised speech. Deficits in the internal speech monitor may contribute to the development of auditory-verbal hallucinations. This study investigates potential effects in the opposite direction: could the presence of auditory-verbal hallucinations have an effect on speech production? To this end, a recent mimicking/simulation approach was adopted for 40 healthy participants who perceived either white noise or hallucination-like speech recordings during different language production tasks with increasing demands: picture naming, verbal fluency with and without category switch, sentence production, and discourse. In line with reports about real schizophrenia cases in the literature, mimicking auditory-verbal hallucinations affected verbal fluency (switch condition) and sentence production (duration) in a different way than mere noise. These effects were not correlated, suggesting that hallucinations may even affect different levels of linguistic complexity in different ways. Anyway, in both cases (mimicked), auditory hallucination appear to contribute to the emergence of disordered speech. The mimicking/simulation paradigm may in future help to identify and disentangle the various factors contributing to disorganised speech in schizophrenia. They may also support the development and implementation of new protocols, e.g., in speech and language therapy in persons with schizophrenia in order to improve their communication skills despite the presence of auditory-verbal hallucinations.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1017865/fullschizophreniasimulationauditory interferencelanguage productiondisorganised speechneurotypical adult volunteers
spellingShingle Stefan Heim
Stefan Heim
Stefan Heim
Stella Polyak
Katja Hußmann
Mimicking effects of auditory verbal hallucinations on language production at the level of words, sentences and stories
Frontiers in Psychology
schizophrenia
simulation
auditory interference
language production
disorganised speech
neurotypical adult volunteers
title Mimicking effects of auditory verbal hallucinations on language production at the level of words, sentences and stories
title_full Mimicking effects of auditory verbal hallucinations on language production at the level of words, sentences and stories
title_fullStr Mimicking effects of auditory verbal hallucinations on language production at the level of words, sentences and stories
title_full_unstemmed Mimicking effects of auditory verbal hallucinations on language production at the level of words, sentences and stories
title_short Mimicking effects of auditory verbal hallucinations on language production at the level of words, sentences and stories
title_sort mimicking effects of auditory verbal hallucinations on language production at the level of words sentences and stories
topic schizophrenia
simulation
auditory interference
language production
disorganised speech
neurotypical adult volunteers
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1017865/full
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