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A Mechanism to Inhibit Input Activation and its Dysfunction in Schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

J. David Johnson
J. David Johnson*
Affiliation:
106 North East Street, Eaton Rapids, Michigan, 48827, USA
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Summary

Schizophrenics appear to be unable to regulate adequately the effects of external stimulation, but the cause of this deficit is unclear. Recent evidence suggests that input activation can normally be inhibited by an appropriate leading or conditioning stimulus; such inhibition has been found to be diminished in schizophrenics. Based on this evidence, a feed-forward regulating mechanism that serves to stabilise reactivity to environmental events is described; it is hypothesised that failure of the mechanism to inhibit adequately surges of activity is an underlying cause of schizophrenic symptoms. Some ways to test the validity of the mechanism are proposed, and an outline presented of steps to link the mechanism's dysfunction to schizophrenia.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 146 , Issue 4 , April 1985 , pp. 429 - 435
Copyright
Copyright © 1985 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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