Covert Oral Behavior and Auditory Hallucinations

Abstract

This research sought to establish the existence of covert oral language behavior (as measured by chin muscle action potentials (MAP), tongue MAP, breathing amplitude, and whispered sound production) immediately prior to a psychotic's report of auditory hallucinations. The results indicate that two of these response measures (chin MAP and breathing amplitude) significantly increased just before the report of the hallucinations, and that the other two measures tended to increase at that time. Furthermore, slight whisperings were detected significantly often immediately before the hallucinations were reported. Control measures suggest that the response changes were localized in the speech mechanism and thus are not part of a general bodily arousal. It is concluded that, at least in one case, covert oral language behavior significantly often preceded the occurrence of auditory hallucinations. It is the task of future research to ascertain the nature and generality of the relationship between that behavior and the report of hallucinations.

Prospects for a cognitive‐developmental account of psychotic experiences

“…Turning now to hallucinations, it has long been known that patients' voices are associated with activation of the speech musculature (Gould, 1948; McGuigan, 1966). Contemporary neuroimaging data support the hypothesis that such experiences arise when inner speech is misattributed to a source that is external or alien to the self (McGuire, Shah, & Murray, 1993). This observation implies either some kind of malformation of inner speech which makes it more difficult to discriminate from external stimuli (Fernyhough, 2004) or an impairment in source monitoring (the ability to discriminate between one's own inner speech and external stimuli (Bentall, 1990) or both.…”

A Source-Monitoring Account of Auditory Verbal Hallucinations in Patients with Schizophrenia

“…Many of these studies included only a small number of subjects, and the limited sensitivity of the EMG further reduced the number of subjects for whom data could be obtained. 32 With these caveats in mind, the subvocalization studies provide some evidence that the misattribution of inner speech or subvocalizations to an external source is linked to the experience of AVHs-which is Ditman and Kuperberg 283 consistent with a source-monitoring impairment explanation of hallucinations in schizophrenia.…”

The Psychomotor Theory of Human Mind

“…Cerny (1965) reported increased EMG levels in 9 of 28 psychotics during hallucinations. McGuigan (1966) studied EMG immediately preceeded hallucinations. His patient pressed a button upon hearing voices, and consistently showed increased amplitude of the chin EMG immediately before auditory hallucinations.…”