Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Psychopharmacology
Vanderbilt University Medical Research Center
Prior expectations of volatility as a putative cognitive mechanism of persecutory delusions
Persecutory delusions are common and distressing psychotic symptoms that represent the extreme end of a paranoia continuum. Treatments for persecutory delusions require advancement. Understanding the cognitive mechanisms underlying paranoia and persecutory delusions can help identify novel targets. In this talk, Dr. Sheffield will present background on the predictive coding model of delusions and evidentiary support for elevated volatility priors as a contributor to delusion severity. Dr. Sheffield utilizes longitudinal and clinical trials designs to test the modifiability of volatility priors, and their neurobiological correlates, in order to determine whether they represent a viable treatment target.
