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Hallucinations pp 267–281Cite as

Functional Neuroimaging of Hallucinations

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Abstract

Functional neuroimaging techniques such as PET and fMRI have been employed successfully over the past two decades to reveal brain areas involved in the mediation of hallucinations. Numerous studies converge on the involvement of bilateral secondary sensory areas. Auditory verbal hallucinations in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (and in those with schizophrenia spectrum disorders) have been studied most extensively. These studies have shown a central role for speech-production and speech-perception areas not only in the left hemisphere but also their homotopes in the right hemisphere. The parahippocampal gyrus is also involved in such hallucinations, presumably even in their initiation. Other relevant areas are the anterior cingulate, the insula, cerebellum, and the thalamus. In conclusion, auditory verbal hallucinations would seem to depend primarily on distributed brain networks involved in perceptual attention and memory (which may well reflect top-down processing), in addition to various modality-specific sensory areas. Especially the role of monitoring systems and of the emotional connotations of hallucinations deserve further elucidation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. BCN Research School and University Medical Centre, Groningen, The Netherlands

    André Aleman Ph.D.

  2. Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, Sydney, Australia

    Ans Vercammen Ph.D.

Authors
  1. André Aleman Ph.D.
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  2. Ans Vercammen Ph.D.
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Correspondence to André Aleman Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Groningen, Parnassia Bavo Group, Paradijsappelstraat 2, The Hague, 2552 HX, Netherlands

    Jan Dirk Blom

  2. , Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, Utrecht, 3584CX, Netherlands

    Iris E.C. Sommer

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Aleman, A., Vercammen, A. (2012). Functional Neuroimaging of Hallucinations. In: Blom, J., Sommer, I. (eds) Hallucinations. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0959-5_20

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