The DOI matches its Crossref record; 200 of the 200 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Interaction of language, auditory and memory brain networks in auditory verbal hallucinations
Open accessAbstract
Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) occur in psychotic disorders, but also as a symptom of other conditions and even in healthy people. Several current theories on the origin of AVH converge, with neuroimaging studies suggesting that the language, auditory and memory/limbic networks are of particular relevance. However, reconciliation of these theories with experimental evidence is missing. We review 50 studies investigating functional (EEG and fMRI) and anatomic (diffusion tensor imaging) connectivity in these networks, and explore the evidence supporting abnormal connectivity in these networks associated with AVH. We distinguish between functional connectivity during an actual hallucination experience (symptom capture) and functional connectivity during either the resting state or a task comparing individuals who hallucinate with those who do not (symptom association studies). Symptom capture studies clearly reveal a pattern of increased coupling among the auditory, language and striatal regions. Anatomical and symptom association functional studies suggest that the interhemispheric connectivity between posterior auditory regions may depend on the phase of illness, with increases in non-psychotic individuals and first episode patients and decreases in chronic patients. Leading hypotheses involving concepts as unstable memories, source monitoring, top-down attention, and hybrid models of hallucinations are supported in part by the published connectivity data, although several caveats and inconsistencies remain. Specifically, possible changes in fronto-temporal connectivity are still under debate. Precise hypotheses concerning the directionality of connections deduced from current theoretical approaches should be tested using experimental approaches that allow for discrimination of competing hypotheses.
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“In addition, evidence supports the hypothesis that hallucinations arise from release of those sensory signals by reduced top-down inhibition from higher-order centers such as frontal areas and their connections with the thalamus. 40-43”
From Towards an Integrative Account of Potential Mechanisms Mediating the Path From Sleep Dysfunction to Hallucinations (2025) · cites this paper as [41]
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InfluentialThe effects of music intervention on inhibitory control in patients with frontal lobe epilepsy
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“This information is then transmitted via the thalamus to higher-order language areas, including Wernicke’s area, for integration (Ćurčić-Blake et al. 2017 ).”
Metadata
- Authors
- Ćurčić-Blake, B., Ford, J. M., Hubl, D., Orlov, N. D., Sommer, I. E., Waters, F., Allen, P., Jardri, R., Woodruff, P. W., David, O., Mulert, C., Woodward, T. S., & Aleman, A.
- Affiliations
- San Francisco VA Medical Center (US)
- University of Bern (CH)
- King's College London (GB)
- University Medical Center Utrecht (NL)
- The University of Western Australia (AU)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- University of Sheffield (GB)
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (DE)
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- University Medical Center Groningen (NL)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Progress in Neurobiology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-01
- Volume
- 148
- Pages
- 1-20
- ISSN
- 0301-0082 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5240789
- OpenAlex
- W2552561399
- Cited by
- 224
- References
- 200
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 35 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 13
- FWCI
- 2.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Progress in Neurobiology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- HAL (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- BORIS (University Library Bern) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- LillOA (Université de Lille (University Of Lille)) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Open Access CRIS of the University of Bern
- Funders
- NWO VICI (453-11-004)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Hallucinations in medical conditions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Keywords
- auditory verbal hallucinations, language network, auditory network, functional connectivity, structural connectivity, symptom association, interhemispheric connectivity, striatum, source monitoring, top-down attention, psychosis, first-episode psychosis, chronic psychosis, fronto-temporal connectivity
- MeSH terms
- Auditory Perception, Hallucinations, Humans, Language, Memory, Nerve Net
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