The Neuroscience of Hallucinations

Abstract

Reviews the book, The Neuroscience of Hallucinations, edited by Renaud Jardri, Arnaud Cachia, Pierre Thomas, and Delpiine Pins (see record [rid]2012-27173-000[/rid]). This volume provides a unique, comprehensive, multifaceted perspective on hallucinations. The editors have brought together an international cast of authors to provide 27 chapters, organized into 5 parts. Part I covers the "basics," including details of history, epidemiological data including base rates of hallucinatory experiences in the healthy population, and assessment methods. Part II deals with "cognitive models" of hallucinations, with emphases on "top-down" versus "bottom-up" models, the roles of speech, language, memory, and monitoring processes. Part III examines neurobiological and computational models, with an emphasis on developmental and genetic mechanisms, along with animal models linked to hallucinogenic drugs. Part IV explores the emerging literature that is interrogating the mechanisms of hallucinations using neuroimaging, and includes studies of EEG, MEG, structural and functional MRI, and connectivity studies. Part V looks at therapeutic strategies, spanning psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and neuromodulatory methods including transcranial magnetic stimulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved)