Looking into a Deluded Brain through a Neuroimaging Lens

Abstract

<jats:p> Delusions are irrational, tenacious, and incorrigible false beliefs that are the most common symptom of a range of brain disorders including schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. In the case of schizophrenia and other primary delusional disorders, their appearance is often how the disorder is first detected and can be sufficient for diagnosis. At this time, not much is known about the brain dysfunctions leading to delusions, and hindering our understanding is that the complexity of the nature of delusions, and their very unique relevance to the human experience has hampered elucidation of their underlying neurobiology using either patients or animal models. Advances in neuroimaging along with improved psychiatric and cognitive modeling offers us a new opportunity to look with more investigative power into the deluded brain. In this article, based on data obtained from neuroimaging studies, we have attempted to draw a picture of the neural networks involved when delusion is present and evaluate whether different manifestations of delusions engage different regions of the brain. </jats:p>

Unraveling the protective effects of curcumin against drugs of abuse

“…In addition to its therapeutic effects on depressive disorders, curcumin has exhibited potential as a therapeutic intervention for delusional disorders. Psychotic patients exhibit notable alterations in the activity of various brain regions, particularly those implicated in dopamine-related processes [ 43 ]. Dopamine receptors, which are abundantly present throughout the brain and are blocked by antipsychotic drugs, are widely used to treat delusional disorders; however, long-term use of antipsychotic drugs causes severe extrapyramidal side effects [ 44 ].…”

Functional characteristics of the right ventral frontal/anterior insular cortex in the pathogenesis of delusions: a pilot study

“…Выраженность позитивной симптоматики при шизофрении коррелирует с ФС внутри затылочной сети покоя, а также с ФС между затылочной сетью и рядом ассоциативных сетей, в том числе сети воображения [30]. Веретеновидная извилина в обоих полушариях отмечается среди областей мозга, функционирование которых изменено у пациентов с бредовыми убеждениями, независимо от содержания последних [10].…”

“…Как можно увидеть из приведенного краткого обзора, результаты исследований и применяемые в них методы анализа достаточно гетерогенны и на данный момент не позволяют однозначно описать мозговые механизмы формирования и поддержания бредовых убеждений [10,11].…”