Animation helping to understand delusional paranoia

A series of basic animated films are being used to help scientists understand why people with schizophrenia suffer severe paranoia, sometimes leading to suicidal tendencies.

Researchers from the Institute of Medical Research (INSERM) in Lyon and the Versailles Hospital, France developed the test while investigating one of the most common and distressing symptoms for people with schizophrenia – delusions of persecution.

This is a severe form of paranoia which convinces the sufferer they are being watched and plotted against. These delusions can be so convincing that many of them become suicidal.

In tests involving 50 volunteers it was clearly shown that those suffering from delusions of persecution link events, where no connections exist, so leading them to believe they are at risk.

Lead researcher Dr Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, whose project was funded by the Wellcome Trust, explained:

“We all carry out simple actions and reactions everyday. For example, if we cross a road with traffic approaching we would react to get out of the way. If, however, we were standing on the pavement as traffic went past, we wouldn’t treat the passing cars as a threat, and so we wouldn’t feel it necessary to jump out of the way. People with schizophrenia develop paranoid views of such situations and may feel that someone is about to run them down.

“Clearly, with this continued level of disordered thinking it becomes increasingly difficult to lead a normal life.

“Delusions of persecution are a symptom that almost all schizophrenia patients suffer at some point and can lead to them becoming a danger to themselves. This is an area where more work is needed, but if we can develop a better understanding of it, we can hope to develop more effective treatments.”

In the UK one in 100 people suffer from schizophrenia and researchers estimate that between 40% and 60% of these attempt suicide because of their delusions of persecution. Of these 10% succeed.

To date very little is known about these delusions and in trying to get a better understanding the team took the innovative approach to develop these films.

The tests involved objects moving around a screen, often at random. Those suffering from schizophrenia with severe paranoia thought all the movements were connected in some way. However those not suffering from these delusions were able to distinguish between what was connected and what was haphazard.

Ends.

10 Schizophrenia facts:

• Schizophrenia is one of the most common mental illnesses – 600,000 people in Britain suffer.

• Schizophrenia affects one percent of the world’s population, across all races and countries.

• It is equally common in men and women, usually developing between the ages of 18 and 25 in men and 26 and 45 in women.

• Symptoms of schizophrenia include delusions, hallucinations, disordered thinking and catatonic movements.

• About 25% of patients recover fully from their first episode of schizophrenia, but the rest can have recurring episodes. Up to 15 % have long term and persistent schizophrenia.

• The precise cause of schizophrenia remains unknown, meaning it can’t be prevented, though treatments are available to control the symptoms

• John Nash, the famous mathematician, profiled in the film ‘A Beautiful Mind’, suffered delusions of persecution.

• The government is reported to be reviewing the classification of cannabis after research suggested its use could be connected to schizophrenia

• Schizophrenia can run in families and the risk is increased if a child has a schizophrenic parent (by 10%) or identical twin (50%), although environmental factors are also thought to be significant

• The word schizophrenia is from the Latin “schizo” a break or split. This doesn’t refer to split personalities, but a split from reality

ENDS

Media contacts:

Mark Anderson

Wellcome Trust

020 7611 8612

m.anderson@wellcome.ac.uk

Notes to editor:

1. The Wellcome Trust is an independent research-funding charity established in 1936 under the will of tropical medicine pioneer Sir Henry Wellcome.The Trust’s mission is to promote research with the aim of improving human and animal health and it currently spends more than £400m pa

2. The findings from this study were published in Psychological Medicine, November 2003