Transient activation of a somatosensory area in painful hallucinations shown by fMRI.
The disturbance of somatosensory perception and bodily experiences, including somatosensory hallucinations, are main features of the coenaesthesia sub-syndrome of schizophrenia. We used functional MRI to study a coenaesthesia patient with rapidly fluctuating painful somatosensory hallucinatory perceptions. Transient brain activations accompanying hallucinations were similar to the pattern elicited in a control experiment (non-painful tactile stimulation). However, an area in the medial parietal cortex, including parts of the precuneus and previously characterised as a supplementary sensory area, was activated significantly stronger during hallucinations than the control condition. This finding demonstrates elevated brain activity in a somatosensory area accompanying painful somatic hallucinations.
Bär
Karl-Jürgen
KJ
Department of Psychiatry, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Philosophenweg 3, D-07740 Jena, Germany.
Gaser
Christian
C
Nenadic
Igor
I
Sauer
Heinrich
H
D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology