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Standardized Assessment of Hallucinations

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The Neuroscience of Hallucinations

Abstract

Hallucinations are subjective, phenomenologically heterogeneous experiences that likely result from heterogeneous neural circuitries. A proper assessment of hallucinations is a crucial first step in the research for the mechanisms and treatment of these experiences. Current assessment procedures use continuous scale, binary scale, combined binary and continuous scale measures to evaluate the phenomenology, severity as well as specific aspects of hallucinations such as the acceptance of and beliefs about “voices.” The relevance of the phenomenology of hallucinations to their neural mechanisms indicates that there may be advantages to conducting a comprehensive phenomenological evaluation even when interest is focused on one specific aspect of hallucinations. In this chapter, I review current instruments for assessing hallucinations and identify a number of areas for future improvement. These improvements include the development of agreed upon terminology for the description of the phenomenology of hallucinations, an appropriate and agreed upon use of binary or continuous scale measurements for given hallucination characteristics, and improvement in the validation of instruments whereby one instrument is examined against a second with different content but with ­presumed similar psychometric properties. Finally, further research for the evaluation of the reliability of the report of hallucinations is needed as, currently, only the computerized binary Scale of Auditory Speech Hallucinations provides such assessment.

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Abbreviations

AVH:

Auditory verbal hallucinations

BAVQ:

Beliefs about Voices Questionnaire

BAVQ-R:

Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire Revised

cbSASH:

Computerized binary Scale of Auditory Speech Hallucinations

Fp:

Psychiatric Infrequency Scale

HPSVQ:

Hamilton Program for Schizophrenia Voices Questionnaire

KGV:

Krawiecka Goldberg and Vaughan

LSHS:

Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale

LSHS-R:

Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale Revised

MASAH:

Matsuzawa Assessment Schedule for Auditory Hallucinations

MMPI-II:

Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory 2

MUPS:

Mental health research institute unusual perceptions schedule

NEVHI:

North East Visual Hallucinations Interview

PPQ:

Parkinson Psychosis Questionnaire

PSYRATS:

Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales

SAPS:

Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms

TUHRAS:

Tottori University Hallucinations Rating Scale

UM-PDHQ:

University of Miami Parkinson’s Disease Hallucinations ­Questionnaire

VAAS:

Voices acceptance and Action Scale

VRIN:

Variable Response Inconsistency Scale

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Psychiatry Service Line at VA Medical Center, One Veterans Drive, 116A, Minneapolis, MN, 55417, USA

    Massoud Stephane

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  1. Massoud Stephane
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Correspondence to Massoud Stephane .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University Medical Centre of Lille, Pediatric Psychiatry Department, Fontan Hospital, F-59037, Lille cedex, France

    Renaud Jardri

  2. Sainte-Anne Hospital, Center for Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Université Paris Descartes, 2 ter rue d'Alesia, Paris, F-75014, France

    Arnaud Cachia

  3. University Medical Centre of Lille, Psychiatry Department, Fontan Hospital, rue Verhaeghe, Lille cedex, F-59037, France

    Pierre Thomas

  4. University Medical Centre of Lille, Functional Neurosciences & Disorders Lab, Salengro Hospital, Lille cedex, F-59037, France

    Delphine Pins

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Stephane, M. (2013). Standardized Assessment of Hallucinations. In: Jardri, R., Cachia, A., Thomas, P., Pins, D. (eds) The Neuroscience of Hallucinations. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4121-2_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4121-2_5

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