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The distressing auditory hallucinations experienced by most people with schizophrenia arise from a dysfunction in the brain rather than, as most patients believe, an external malevolent force, according to research by Associate Professor Waters.

Knowing this can help patients adapt and cope successfully.

Her research shows that the hallucinations arise from dysfunctions in memory and the ability to control thoughts and mental activities.

“These impairments result in unwanted thoughts and memories which intrude into the habitual flow of thoughts,” Associate Professor Waters said. “Because of deficits in memory, these mental events are not recognised as being self-generated and are misinterpreted as having an external source.

“My work on delusions of control also shows dysfunctions in the brain’s functioning.  People with these symptoms have fundamental problems in the way that their body is represented in the brain and this causes confusion about what is self and what is non-self.”

The clinical implications of the research is that unusual or bizarre beliefs experienced by people with schizophrenia can be explained by these abnormalities in brain functioning, which lead to distortions in experiences.

“This is relevant because it suggests that cognitive deficits can become targets of treatment with remediation strategies which target these specific areas of dysfunctions,” Associate Professor Waters said.

Her future research will continue to examine the brain-behaviour relationship underlying psychotic symptoms in different clinical groups.

Currently she is examining the contribution of sleep disturbances in psychiatric illness.  “We know that the intensity of symptoms fluctuates on a daily basis and initial evidence that I have collected suggests that sleep may contribute to this experience,” she said.

“We now have preliminary data which show a day to-day relationship between sleep quality and intensity of psychotic symptoms.”

During the study, people with schizophrenia wore special watches to measure objectively the quality of their sleep and they also filled in daily diaries of their symptoms.

Associate Professor Waters now has applied for a NHMRC grant to conduct a larger study into the association between sleep and symptoms.