During psychosis, the brain experiences significant disruptions, particularly affecting systems that help process reality and motivation.
Inside the brains of people with psychosis, two key systems are identified as malfunctioning:
Key Malfunctioning Brain Systems in Psychosis
Research indicates that core issues in the brain during psychosis involve how attention is filtered and how rewards are anticipated.
1. The Attention "Filter"
- Function: This system acts like a filter, directing attention towards important external events and internal thoughts while tuning out irrelevant information.
- Malfunction: When this filter doesn't work correctly, the brain struggles to differentiate between what is real or important and what is not. This can lead to an overload of sensory information or difficulty focusing on relevant details.
2. The Reward "Predictor"
- Function: Composed of specific pathways, this system is responsible for anticipating rewards. It plays a role in motivation, learning, and how we perceive pleasure and significance in events.
- Malfunction: Issues in this prediction system can alter how a person perceives the world and their place in it. This might affect motivation, the ability to experience pleasure, or assign unusual significance to normal events.
These malfunctions in the attention filter and reward predictor pathways contribute to the altered perception of reality and experiences characteristic of psychosis.
