Monteleger

Researchers are investigating how disturbances in the sense of self and time may contribute to psychotic symptoms, focusing on sensory and cognitive prediction mechanisms in people with schizophrenia. The study explores how small timing delays or asynchronous information might disrupt the flow of time perception differently in neurotypical individuals compared to those with schizophrenia. This investigation aims to improve understanding of sense-of-self disorders in schizophrenia using a new visual illusion. Participants will complete an illusion task where two squares move toward each other and collide, creating a visual effect that tests sensory predictions. The experiment introduces perturbations like acceleration or uniform speed changes during the squares' trajectories, with and without a rebound effect, to compare sensory and cognitive predictions. Alongside the task, participants receive neuropsychological evaluations of attention and semantic knowledge, and clinical assessments of their sense of self. During the study, researchers will measure how participants perceive the illusion and their sensitivity to trajectory changes, using these observations to assess sensory and top-down prediction processes. Safety and clinical evaluations are included to understand the participants' condition better. The primary outcome focuses on the effect of millisecond-level trajectory perturbations at four months, helping clarify mechanisms behind sensory processing disruptions in schizophrenia.