Voices arguing and voices commenting one’s action hallucinations: neuropsychological characteristics and evolution: a longitudinal 12 months follow-up study

Abstract

Background: It’s known that First Rank Symptoms (FRS) are particularly typical of schizophrenia, although they are not pathognomonic. Some studies have found that there is a high correlation between alienation delusions and voices arguing and voices commenting hallucinations, both of them belonging to FRS that suggests they may have a common pathophysiology. As we know, patients with alienation delusions have a left frontoparietal hypofunction and a right parietal hyperfunction, and patients with auditory verbal hallucinations have an affection of the superior temporal gyrus therefore we could think that people who present voices arguing and voices commenting hallucinations would present a left frontotemporal hypofunction and a compensation through a right temporal hyperfunction. Aims: To determine whether the patients with voices arguing and voices commenting hallucinations have a dysfunction of the left frontal lobe and the left superior temporal gyrus and a right temporal lobe hyperfunction. And determinate the evolution of these patients after 12 months in terms of psychopathology and social functionality. Methods: A cohort study will be performed including 210 patients with hallucinations, 79 of them with voices arguing and voices commenting hallucinations and 131 with other auditory hallucinations. Candidate patients will be selected as they are admitted to the “Unitat d’Hospitalització d’Aguts” (UHA) in “Hospital Santa Caterina” (HSC), Girona. Participants will be evaluated during admission and once every three months for twelve-month follow-up period in order to compare the neuropsychological characteristics and the psychopathological and functional evolution