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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Nov 1.
Published in final edited form as: Biol Psychiatry. 2018 May 25;84(9):634–643. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.05.015

Table 1. Predictive coding and positive symptoms: Theory and Controversy.

Here we highlight the facets of hallucinations and delusions that have been addressed by predictive coding-based theories. Each has garnered empirical support, however, overarching theories – grounded in a broader multi-sensory and enactive framework that can accommodate the evolution and trajectories of positive symptoms – are required. We focus here on hallucinations and delusions. For consideration of other psychotic symptoms such as thought disorder and passivity phenomena from the viewpoint of predictive coding, please see Griffin & Fletcher (2017) (110) and Sterzer et al. (2016) (13).

Feature Theory Literature Controversy
Hallucinations Percepts without external stimulus Strong perceptual priors Powers, Kelley, Corlett (2016) (123) Entails weak and strong prior beliefs – for perception and action - in the same brain at the same time
Speech from external agents Weak corollary discharge Thakkar, Diwadkar, Rolfs (2017) (87)
Delusions Delusional Mood/Aberrant Salience Weak perceptual priors Corlett et al. (2010) (124) Necessitates a transition from weak to strong priors as delusions form, foment and become ingrained
Fixed in the face of contradictory evidence Strong memory reconsolidation/strong conceptual priors Corlett et al., (2009) (104); Schmack et al. (2013) (72)