Schizophrenia – too much focus on self

A startling new explanation of schizophrenia is the finding of a new research study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The nickel overview?

Areas of the brain devoted to self-attention and self-reflection are overactive in schizophrenics. Researchers say this could explain hallucinations and other symptoms, in that “normal” exterior stimuli aren’t perceived as external, due to the amount of self-focus.

(No, there’s nothing to indicate such undue self-focus is primarily an environmental effect, so Freudians can remain seated. In fact, the research study has good evidence for the heritability of this brain activity.)

Read the whole story; it sounds like a new line of research has just opened up.