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Role of Inferior Colliculi in Auditory Hallucinations
Sponsor: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes
Summary
The neural basis of auditory hallucinations (AH) in patients with schizophrenia is poorly characterized. Functional imaging studies investigate either the "state" dimension (i.e., the measurement of changes in brain area activation at the precise moment of AH onset) or the "trait" dimension (i.e., the neural correlates of the propensity to hallucinate). A corollary of AH (particularly acoustic-verbal) is the activation of brain regions involved in the auditory perception of speech (auditory cortex). One theory is that patients with schizophrenia with AH may have a deficit in processing their internal speech (i.e., external attribution to internal verbal content). However, there is little clinical data on the specific role of the mesencephalic region of the inferior colliculi (IC) in the formation of these symptoms. Preliminary research has shown intense expression of dopamine D2 receptors, particularly on glutamatergic neurons in mouse ICs. Thus, ICs receive numerous inhibitory dopaminergic inputs, likely involved in signal optimization and modulation. The study authors hypothesize that AHs are the result of a defect in signal inhibition by the IC, which lose their function as perceptual filters.
Official title: Rôle Des Colliculi inférieurs Dans Les Hallucinations Auditives : étude Pilote Par Neuroimagerie
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 60 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
40
Start Date
2025-09-12
Completion Date
2026-09
Last Updated
2025-12-09
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Unenhanced brain MRI
Unenhanced brain MRI in five sequences: 1) T1-weighted anatomical sequences 2) Resting-state functional sequences 3) Task-based functional sequence 4) Structural sequence using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) 5) Routine magnetic resonance spectroscopy sequence
Locations (1)
CHU de Nîmes, Hôpital Universitaire Carémeau
Nîmes, France