Jens Gisselgård1, Liss Gøril Anda2, Kolbjørn Brønnick3, Johannes Langeveld2, Wenche Ten Velden Hegelstad2, Inge Joa3, Jan Olav Johannessen3, Tor Ketil Larsen2. 1. Stavanger University Hospital, TIPS, Regional Centre for Clinical Research in Psychosis, Stavanger, Norway. Electronic address: jens.petter.gisselgard@sus.no. 2. Stavanger University Hospital, TIPS, Regional Centre for Clinical Research in Psychosis, Stavanger, Norway. 3. Stavanger University Hospital, TIPS, Regional Centre for Clinical Research in Psychosis, Stavanger, Norway; Network for Medical Sciences, University of Stavanger, 4036 Stavanger, Norway.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Auditory verbal hallucinations are a characteristic symptom in schizophrenia. Recent causal models of auditory verbal hallucinations propose that cognitive mechanisms involving verbal working memory are involved in the genesis of auditory verbal hallucinations. Thus, in the present study, we investigate the hypothesis that verbal working memory is a specific factor behind auditory verbal hallucinations. METHODS: In the present study, we investigated the association between verbal working memory manipulation (Backward Digit Span and Letter-Number Sequencing) and auditory verbal hallucinations in a population study (N=52) of first episode psychosis. The degree of auditory verbal hallucination as reported in the P3-subscale of the PANSS interview was included as dependent variable using sequential multiple regression, while controlling for age, psychosis symptom severity, executive cognitive functions and simple auditory working memory span. RESULTS: Multiple sequential regression analyses revealed verbal working memory manipulation to be the only significant predictor of verbal hallucination severity. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with cognitive data from auditory verbal hallucinations in healthy individuals, the present results suggest a specific association between auditory verbal hallucinations, and cognitive processes involving the manipulation of phonological representations during a verbal working memory task.
BACKGROUND:Auditory verbal hallucinations are a characteristic symptom in schizophrenia. Recent causal models of auditory verbal hallucinations propose that cognitive mechanisms involving verbal working memory are involved in the genesis of auditory verbal hallucinations. Thus, in the present study, we investigate the hypothesis that verbal working memory is a specific factor behind auditory verbal hallucinations. METHODS: In the present study, we investigated the association between verbal working memory manipulation (Backward Digit Span and Letter-Number Sequencing) and auditory verbal hallucinations in a population study (N=52) of first episode psychosis. The degree of auditory verbal hallucination as reported in the P3-subscale of the PANSS interview was included as dependent variable using sequential multiple regression, while controlling for age, psychosis symptom severity, executive cognitive functions and simple auditory working memory span. RESULTS: Multiple sequential regression analyses revealed verbal working memory manipulation to be the only significant predictor of verbal hallucination severity. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with cognitive data from auditory verbal hallucinations in healthy individuals, the present results suggest a specific association between auditory verbal hallucinations, and cognitive processes involving the manipulation of phonological representations during a verbal working memory task.
Authors: Robert J Thoma; Poone Haghani Tehrani; Jessica A Turner; Jon Houck; Rose Bigelow; Vincent P Clark; Ronald A Yeo; Vince Calhoun; Julia Stephen Journal: Schizophr Res Date: 2017-04-29 Impact factor: 4.939
Authors: Joanne P M Kenney; Genevieve McPhilemy; Cathy Scanlon; Pablo Najt; Shane McInerney; Sophia Arndt; Elisabeth Scherz; Fintan Byrne; Alexander Leemans; Ben Jeurissen; Brian Hallahan; Colm McDonald; Dara M Cannon Journal: Transl Neurosci Date: 2017-11-02 Impact factor: 1.757
Authors: Ingvild Aase; Johannes Hendrik Langeveld; Jan Olav Johannessen; Inge Joa; Ingvild Dalen; Wenche Ten Velden Hegelstad Journal: Schizophr Res Cogn Date: 2021-07-28
Authors: Christopher Gaudiot; Xiaoming Du; Ann Summerfelt; Stephanie M Hare; Juan R Bustillo; Laura M Rowland; L Elliot Hong Journal: J Abnorm Psychol Date: 2019-05-06
Authors: Sophia Vinogradov; Srikantan S Nagarajan; Alexander B Herman; Ethan G Brown; Corby L Dale; Leighton B Hinkley; Karuna Subramaniam; John F Houde; Melissa Fisher Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2020-06-01 Impact factor: 4.379