A neural basis for the perception of voices in external auditory space

Michael D. Hunter; Timothy D. Griffiths; Tom F. D. Farrow; Ying Zheng; Iain D. Wilkinson; Nakul Hegde; William Woods; Sean A. Spence; Peter W. R. Woodruff

doi:10.1093/brain/awg015

Back

A neural basis for the perception of voices in external auditory space

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

A neural basis for the perception of voices in external auditory space

Michael D. Hunter, Timothy D. Griffiths, Tom F. D. Farrow, Ying Zheng, Iain D. Wilkinson, Nakul Hegde, William Woods, Sean A. Spence and Peter W. R. Woodruff

Brain (London, England : 1878), Vol.126(1), pp.161-169

01/01/2003

DOI: 10.1093/brain/awg015

PMID: 12477703

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awg015View

Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

We used functional imaging of normal subjects to identify the neural substrate for the perception of voices in external auditory space. This fundamental process can be abnormal in psychosis, when voices that are not true external auditory objects (auditory verbal hallucinations) may appear to originate in external space. The perception of voices as objects in external space depends on filtering by the outer ear. Psychoses that distort this process involve the cerebral cortex. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was carried out on 12 normal subjects using an inside‐the‐scanner simulation of ‘inside head’ and ‘outside head’ voices in the form of typical auditory verbal hallucinations. Comparison between the brain activity associated with the two conditions allowed us to test the hypothesis that the perception of voices in external space (‘outside head’) is subserved by a temperoparietal network comprising association auditory cortex posterior to Heschl’s gyrus [planum temporale (PT)] and inferior parietal lobule. Group analyses of response to ‘outside head’ versus ‘inside head’ voices showed significant activation solely in the left PT. This was demonstrated in three experiments in which the predominant lateralization of the stimulus was to the right, to the left or balanced. These findings suggest a critical involvement of the left PT in the perception of voices in external space that is not dependent on precise spatial location. Based on this, we suggest a model for the false perception of externally located auditory verbal hallucinations.

auditory verbal hallucinations

AVH = auditory verbal hallucination

BOLD = blood oxygenation level‐dependent

EPI = echo‐planar imaging

fMRI = functional MRI

functional MRI

head‐related transfer function

HRF = haemodynamic response function

HRTF = head‐related transfer function

IPL = inferior parietal lobule

MNI = Montreal Neurological Institute

PT = planum temporale

SPM = statistical parametric mapping

STS = superior temporal sulcus

virtual acoustic space

Details

Title: Subtitle: A neural basis for the perception of voices in external auditory space
Creators: Michael D. Hunter - University of Sheffield
Timothy D. Griffiths - National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
Tom F. D. Farrow - Sheffield Cognition and Neuroimaging Laboratory (SCANLab), Academic Department of Psychiatry and
Ying Zheng - Sheffield Cognition and Neuroimaging Laboratory (SCANLab), Academic Department of Psychiatry and
Iain D. Wilkinson - Sheffield Cognition and Neuroimaging Laboratory (SCANLab), Academic Department of Psychiatry and
Nakul Hegde - Sheffield Cognition and Neuroimaging Laboratory (SCANLab), Academic Department of Psychiatry and
William Woods - Auditory Group, Newcastle University Medical School, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Sean A. Spence - Sheffield Cognition and Neuroimaging Laboratory (SCANLab), Academic Department of Psychiatry and
Peter W. R. Woodruff - Sheffield Cognition and Neuroimaging Laboratory (SCANLab), Academic Department of Psychiatry and
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Brain (London, England : 1878), Vol.126(1), pp.161-169
DOI: 10.1093/brain/awg015
PMID: 12477703
NLM abbreviation: Brain
ISSN: 0006-8950
eISSN: 1460-2156
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Language: English
Date published: 01/01/2003
Academic Unit: Psychological and Brain Sciences
Record Identifier: 9984627350302771

Metrics

23 Record Views

55 Times Cited - Web of Science