Schizophrenics are immune to some visual illusions

[justin0469]

Just thought it was interesting. I didn't know that it was already known that schizophrenics are immune to some other visual illusions.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16911-schizophrenics-see-through-hollowmask-illusion.html

Video: See the hollow-mask illusion

Telling the front from the back of a mask can be more difficult than it seems. Thanks to an effect called the hollow-mask illusion, the brain can have trouble deciding if the image is convex or concave.

But, it seems, not everyone struggles to correctly determine the mask's orientation. New research shows that people with schizophrenia are immune to the effect – a finding that means the illusion could provide a diagnostic test for the condition.

In the study, volunteers were monitored in an fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scanner as they looked at photos. Some of these were normal pictures of faces, but others had been inverted as in the hollow-mask illusion. All the participants with schizophrenia could distinguish between the two types of photos, whereas control volunteers without the condition were fooled 99 per cent of the time.

People with schizophrenia, which affects about 1 per cent of the population, are already known to be immune to certain visual illusions. Immunity to the hollow-mask illusion, says Danai Dima, of Hannover School of Medicine in Germany, suggests that the "bottom-up" process of collecting incoming visual information from the eyes, and the "top-down" process of interpreting this information is different in people with schizophrenia.

"The term 'schizophrenia' was coined almost a century ago to mean the splitting of different mental domains, but the idea has now shifted more towards connectivity between brain areas," says Dima.

The prevailing theory is that perception comprises three main components: sensory input (bottom-up); the internal production of concepts (top-down); and a control component, which covers interaction between the two first components. "Our study provides further evidence of 'dysconnectivity' between these components in the brains of people with schizophrenia."

[V4junkie]

That is really interesting, the video fooled me.

[fusion]

That's pretty cool. I guess I'm not schizo.

[Cdubyah]

damn video won't load for me. I'll have to try it later.

[flounder]

Uhhh,,, So I think I have a problem.. The mask looked concave to me. Not extremely concave but I could tell the difference.

[2wheels>4]

Pretty cool!! Wasn't aware of the phenomena with schizos, but it makes sense. I'm not schizo, but I AM BPD/PTSD... hehehehe... Dislexics have some pretty cool attributes as well... For years medical "science" has told us that it is a learning disablity, but that is only because no one knew how to teach them properly when standard methods proved difficult. Every dislexic I know has been brilliant and they have a very unique way of viewing some things... Facinating, really.

Dissociative disorders, anyone?? They call us "sociopath" and I hear the fear and derision in their voices. They say we are flawed because we don't feel emotion as strongly (or at all). I say we are more highly evolved than you because reason rules our actions and not foolish hormones.... The inability to motivate or affect my decision making with emotional pleas, sympathy or cheap religious parlor tricks like misplaced guilt is a great advantage! Of course, not all are so well adjusted....

[flounder]

Dissociative disorders' date=' anyone?? They call us "sociopath" and I hear the fear and derision in their voices. They say we are flawed because we don't feel emotion as strongly (or at all). I say we are more highly evolved than you because reason rules our actions and not foolish hormones.... The inability to motivate or affect my decision making with emotional pleas, sympathy or cheap religious parlor tricks like misplaced guilt is a great advantage! Of course, not all are so well adjusted....[/quote']

Agreed+1 I have some very interesting traits and thoughts that i dont share due to this exact reason.

[2wheels>4]

Agreed+1 I have some very interesting traits and thoughts that i dont share due to this exact reason.

They tried to call me bi-polar too... Funny how an over-active thyroid/adrenal gland and PTSD can look like manic-depressive... I wasn't bi-polar, just very hyperactive and suffering from depression! Now I'm just manic, not so depressive. MUCH more fun that way. I'm happy and I have the metabolism and energy level of a cracked out shrew...

And to hell with psychiatric medication... The only reason to take drugs is if you have an infection or a party. They just want to play fuck-fuck with your brain chemistry and pretend to know what they are doing to justify 120 bucks an hour to your insurance... assholes.

[that dude]

i couldnt tell at all..im leary of the whole test

[flounder]

They tried to call me bi-polar too...

Have you noticed what is written directly under my screename?

[2wheels>4]

Have you noticed what is written directly under my screename?

Yep, exactly why I posted that!

Don't let the fuckers bullshit you, they are just jealous and fear what they can't understand. Un-evolved troglodytes just want to chemically castrate your superiority!!! Conspiracy I say!! Oh, shit, this is why people think I'm a little unhinged, isn't it?

[Kosmo]

^^^Vincent van Gogh was another bipolar genius. The symptoms of Schizophrenia and Bipolar and the cause sometimes overlap but Bipolar is more of a defined manic-depressive cycle which usually have a rhythm with some exceptions but in Schizophrenia we do not see a pattern, it's more unpredictable. This is a very very interesting area of neurobiology. Although many genes causing the up or down regulations of many brain chemicals or neurotransmitters are now known but there are so many cases of SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) that scientists are still puzzled. In another words they know the causal mechanism ("what is wrong") but they still have no clue about "what went wrong" (single mutations) in the gene which is causing the problem. So no genetic screening is possible to definitely tell whether someone has a disorder or not. Now all the brain chemicals/neurotransmitter level may vary due a lot of things, essentially not pointing towards a disorder. Did any of our great grandpas hear about ADD, ADHD ? No, it took years to make it a disease following a symptom or pattern.....so is the case of Schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder....

Edited April 10, 2009 by Kosmo

[Disclaimer]

^-- trust him, he's like a doctor. And he's brown, like Kumar.

[flounder]

^-- trust him, he's like a doctor. And he's brown, like Kumar.

Speaking of Kumar and Doctors.. WTF is with them killing him (Cutner) off on House this past monday.. What a crock of shit.

Edited April 10, 2009 by flounder

[Kosmo]

No more Harold and Kumar :bukkake-1:thats probably the only movie (other than porn) I have ever seen to show some male genitals (that's also small):lol:shit

[2wheels>4]

^^^Vincent van Gogh was another bipolar genius. The symptoms of Schizophrenia and Bipolar and the cause sometimes overlap but Bipolar is more of a defined manic-depressive cycle which usually have a rhythm with some exceptions but in Schizophrenia we do not see a pattern, it's more unpredictable. This is a very very interesting area of neurobiology. Although many genes causing the up or down regulations of many brain chemicals or neurotransmitters are now known but there are so many cases of SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) that scientists are still puzzled. In another words they know the causal mechanism ("what is wrong") but they still have no clue about "what went wrong" (single mutations) in the gene which is causing the problem. So no genetic screening is possible to definitely tell whether someone has a disorder or not. Now all the brain chemicals/neurotransmitter level may vary due a lot of things, essentially not pointing towards a disorder. Did any of our great grandpas hear about ADD, ADHD ? No, it took years to make it a disease following a symptom or pattern.....so is the case of Schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder....

If only doctors knew one tenth of what they would have the general populace believe they do about the human brain and mind. At least you admit the areas of ambiguity more than most. The average shrink would have you believe that he actually knows what he is doing rather than just dosing you with drugs to see what happens when they pull a neurotransmitter string like a mad puppeteer... Modern psychiatry is akin to animal experimentation, only more cruel.

Also, ADD is a bullshit diagnosis. At least for the vast majority of cases it is a combination of bad parenting and poor educational practices. Stop trying to teach someone with 140 IQ at the same rate you teach the functionally retarded kids who don't even want to be in school, and the smart kids won't get quite as bored and mischievous. And little Johnny really does need beaten when he talks back to his teacher. I don't care what your hippie guru counselor told you, corporal punishment is effective if administered correctly. (incredibly ineffective if administered incorrectly, to either side of the scale..)

Speaking of Kumar and Doctors.. WTF is with them killing him (Cutner) off on House this past monday.. What a crock of shit.

WHAT!?!?! I missed this episode somehow... Hulu, how have you failed me!! He was a good character, thought they were going to bounce the old balding dude with the whiny attitude... bugger. I'm way behind on my House, apparently.