Sensorimotor Induction of Auditory Misattribution in Early Psychosis

Dysfunction of sensorimotor predictive processing is thought to underlie abnormalities in self-monitoring producing passivity symptoms in psychosis. Experimentally induced sensorimotor conflict can produce a failure in bodily self-monitoring (presence hallucination [PH]), yet it is unclear how this is related to auditory self-monitoring and psychosis symptoms. Here we show that the induction of sensorimotor conflict in early psychosis patients induces PH and impacts auditory-verbal self-monitoring. Participants manipulated a haptic robotic system inducing a bodily sensorimotor conflict. In experiment 1, the PH was measured. In experiment 2, an auditory-verbal self-monitoring task was performed during the conflict. Fifty-one participants (31 early psychosis patients, 20 matched controls) participated in the experiments. The PH was present in all participants. Psychosis patients with passivity experiences (PE+) had reduced accuracy in auditory-verbal self-other discrimination during sensorimotor stimulation, but only when sensorimotor stimulation involved a spatiotemporal conflict (F(2, 44) = 6.68, P = .002). These results show a strong link between robotically controlled alterations in sensorimotor processing and auditory misattribution in psychosis and provide evidence for the role of sensorimotor processes in altered self-monitoring in psychosis.