SCHIZOPHRENIA - A COGNITIVE MODEL AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTION

It is argued in this article that information-processing models enable us to link psychotic phenomena to their neural bases. The core abnorm ality is viewed as a disturbance in the integration of sensory input w ith stored material. The performance of schizophrenic subjects on task s derived from both animal learning theory and human experimental psyc hology is consistent with the model. The way in which such a disturban ce relates to schizophrenic symptoms is outlined. It may result from a n abnormality at one or more points in the neural circuit responsible for generating predictions of subsequent sensory input; in particular the hippocampus and related brain structures are implicated. The poten tial relevance of the model for psychological intervention is discusse d.