The signal detection ability of patients with auditory hallucination: Analysis using the continuous performance test

Abstract

Signal detection theory is appropriate for analyzing the problem of whether auditory hallucination arises from a sensory or judgmental disorder. In the present study the sensory discrimination ability and decision bias of psychiatric patients with auditory hallucination was investigated by using the visual continuous performance test. Based on signal detection theory the dЈ (d prime) and the lnb value (the natural logarithm of the b value) were calculated. The dЈ is indicator of discriminating ability, whereas the lnb value is an indicator of decision bias. The psychiatric inpatients with the diagnosis of schizophrenia mainly were divided into 11 patients with auditory hallucinations (AH(+)) and 11 patients without hallucinations (AH(-)). As compared with the AH(-) group, the AH(+) group showed the same dЈ value and a significantly lower ln b value. As compared with the normal control group, the AH(+) group showed a significantly lower dЈ value and a nearly normal lnb value. These results suggest that auditory hallucination is characterized by a cognitive deficit of unreasonably maintaining a relatively risktaking decision bias in spite of decreased discriminating ability, which opposes the interpretation of Bentall and Slade (1985). The AH(+) group was divided into subgroups with bizarre delusions (BD(+)) and without bizarre delusions (BD(-)). The BD(+) group showed a stronger tendency toward a lower dЈ value and normal ln b value, which the AH(+) group had.

Effects of transdermal nicotine on episodic memory in non-smokers with and without schizophrenia

“…There was some indication that this improvement in novelty detection with nicotine may be greater in those with schizophrenia than in normal control participants. Improvements in novelty detection may be of clinical significance, as irregularities in novel item recognition have been associated with positive symptoms in schizophrenia (Brebion et al 1998;Ishigaki and Tanno 1999). As in our study, prior studies have not found effects of nicotine on overall verbal memory performance in schizophrenia (Harris et al 2004;Smith et al 2006).…”

Dopamine, Paranormal Belief, and the Detection of Meaningful Stimuli

“…Source monitoring deficits have also been observed in healthy individuals with high level of psychotic-like experiences (Laroi, DʼArgembeau, Bredart, & van der Linden, 2007;Allen, Freeman, Johns, & McGuire, 2006). Accordingly, signal detection parameter have unequivocally shown a decreased rather than increased perceptual sensitivity in patients with auditory hallucinations (Ishigaki & Tanno, 1999). Furthermore, a lowered sensitivity in detecting a mismatch between expectancy and experience was described.…”

Dissociation of acute and chronic intermittent phencyclidine-induced performance deficits in the 5-choice serial reaction time task: influence of clozapine

“…One study suggests that typical antipsychotics do not have a large effect on a′ and d′ although the sample size was small (Epstein et al 1996). However, since disturbances in response bias have been correlated with hallucinations (Liu et al 1997;Ishigaki and Tanno 1999;Brébion et al 2010), it might be predicted that clozapine would exert some beneficial effects. At the very least, these data emphasise the translational potential of combining chronic intermittent PCP with the 5-CSRTT, to model cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.…”

“…The situation with lnβ is less clear (Seidman et al 1998;Egan et al 2000;Mass et al 2000); although in general, patients show lower values of lnβ that again are exacerbated under conditions of increased attentional load (Liu et al 1997;Mass et al 2000). Reductions in a′ have been tentatively linked to thought disorder (Ito et al 1997), while disturbances in response bias, in the CPT and in other tasks, have been associated with hallucinations (Liu et al 1997;Ishigaki and Tanno 1999;Brébion et al 2010).…”