I still think that the dopamine system is involved in psychosis.
It is quite difficult for the brainstem to reward accurate perception. If dopamine production by the brainstem is in any way dependent on information that is coming in from the neocortex rather than from the brainstem’s own sensory areas then there is the potential for things to go wrong.
One part of the neocortex might get dopamine for detecting danger, and it can rewire itself to maximise its dopamine reward by hallucinating evil spirits.
Another part of the brain might get dopamine when social status increases, and it can rewire itself to maximise its dopamine reward by finding evidence that said individual is the messiah.
Another part of the brain might get dopamine whenever it comes across a really interesting hypothesis. Of course, the most interesting hypothesis is rarely the correct one.
I still think that the dopamine system is involved in psychosis.
I’m hoping to look into it more, but my initial thinking was that the dopamine system would be involved downstream of the cortex-to-cortex connection root cause. For example, if two parts of the cortex aren’t communicating, then one can “surprise” the other (as in my OP discussion of subvocalization), and that surprise tends to (indirectly) cause dopamine release, cf. evidence cited here. (BTW I disagree with that paper’s interpretations and title, but their experimental results in themselves seem probably fine AFAIK.)
I’ll come back and write another comment when I get around to reading any of the literature on dopamine + psychosis.
One part of the neocortex might get dopamine for detecting danger, and it can rewire itself to maximise its dopamine reward by hallucinating evil spirits.
Insofar as that’s true†, it would be true for everyone, right? Do you have a guess for what’s different in people with psychosis?
† (I don’t exactly agree, but that’s a very long story.)
I still think that the dopamine system is involved in psychosis.
It is quite difficult for the brainstem to reward accurate perception. If dopamine production by the brainstem is in any way dependent on information that is coming in from the neocortex rather than from the brainstem’s own sensory areas then there is the potential for things to go wrong.
One part of the neocortex might get dopamine for detecting danger, and it can rewire itself to maximise its dopamine reward by hallucinating evil spirits.
Another part of the brain might get dopamine when social status increases, and it can rewire itself to maximise its dopamine reward by finding evidence that said individual is the messiah.
Another part of the brain might get dopamine whenever it comes across a really interesting hypothesis. Of course, the most interesting hypothesis is rarely the correct one.
I’m hoping to look into it more, but my initial thinking was that the dopamine system would be involved downstream of the cortex-to-cortex connection root cause. For example, if two parts of the cortex aren’t communicating, then one can “surprise” the other (as in my OP discussion of subvocalization), and that surprise tends to (indirectly) cause dopamine release, cf. evidence cited here. (BTW I disagree with that paper’s interpretations and title, but their experimental results in themselves seem probably fine AFAIK.)
I’ll come back and write another comment when I get around to reading any of the literature on dopamine + psychosis.
Insofar as that’s true†, it would be true for everyone, right? Do you have a guess for what’s different in people with psychosis?
† (I don’t exactly agree, but that’s a very long story.)