Publication Details
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between delusions of control and aberrant self-action recognition in schizophrenia. Delusions of control, where individuals feel that their actions are being controlled by external forces, are a prominent symptom of schizophrenia, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We aimed to determine if these delusions are linked to difficulties in attributing actions to oneself. A total of 6 patients with delusions of control, 18 patients without these delusions, and 29 healthy controls participated in an action recognition task. Participants performed movements with a virtual hand while experiencing random angular deviations and delays, then assessed whether the observed movements were their own. Results showed that both patient groups made more recognition errors, especially with temporal delays, than controls. Moreover, patients with delusions of control had significantly higher error rates with angular biases compared to both other groups. These findings suggest a specific impairment in the neural system for action attribution in schizophrenia patients with delusions of control, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.