Schizophrenia Test Picture: The Optical Illusion That Predicts Schizophrenia 

Every day people around the globe struggle with the mental health disorder schizophrenia. It often develops between the late teens and early 30s.  Symptoms rarely appear suddenly and usually develop gradually over time. The most common symptoms include delusions, disjointed thinking, and hallucinations. In addition to hallucinations, those suffering from recurring episodes of psychosis often hear voices. Other major symptoms common in schizophrenic individuals are apathy, anti-social behavior, and emotionless expressions. 

Causes

The causes of schizophrenia vary from person to person. In many cases, schizophrenia is genetic and passed down from a parent. Evidence also suggests that pregnancy-related circumstances, such as the parent’s age and diet, contribute to schizophrenia. Some evidence points toward cannabis use causing schizophrenia. On the other hand, researchers found that marijuana helped some patients manage the illness. Other factors include environment, such as growing up in the city, and neurotransmitters, which are the chemicals that carry messages in the brain. 

Impact

In addition to the mental health symptoms, schizophrenia impacts physical health and life in general. Those with schizophrenia have a short life expectancy as it decreases drastically over time. While violence is often associated with schizophrenia, people are actually less likely to display violent behavior. It’s more probable that they’d be a victim of violence, with people diagnosed with schizophrenia having a higher suicide rate than the average person. 

People with schizophrenia also encounter many social problems and setbacks. They often struggle with poverty, keeping a full-time job, and homelessness. Developing other mental health disorders is also a major impact schizophrenia has on a person, such as anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and substance use disorder.

Most people learn to manage schizophrenia and see positive long-term improvements. A small number might even recover fully without experiencing any relapses. Doctors often prescribe a combination of medication and therapy. And while there are many positive cases, there are also numerous people who struggle with schizophrenia for the rest of their lives, with some even requiring hospitalization. 

Testing

Diagnosing schizophrenia revolves around psychiatric history and observation. There’s no single diagnostic test to discover if a patient has schizophrenia, but there are several visual tests that can help determine if a person has the disorder. As noted, two of the most common symptoms of schizophrenia involve hallucinations and delusions. It might be a surprise, but people with schizophrenia have a better handle on reality than the average person in certain situations. It’s difficult to fool someone with schizophrenia using optical illusions as there’s a good chance they’ll figure out the illusion easily, while people without the disorder struggle to figure it out. Evidence indicates that someone with schizophrenia can spot basic shifts in perception that the average person misses completely. This is why optical illusion tests can help understand and diagnose schizophrenia. 

Here’s a look at four optical illusion tests that people with schizophrenia perceive differently than the average person. 

1. Chubb Illusion

The Chubb illusion is another fascinating test that non-schizophrenic people struggle with far more than those with schizophrenia. It involves placing a low-contrast image against a high-contrast background. 

For example, the participants in a 2005 study had to match the central image to the identical image in the lineup. Non-schizophrenic individuals usually chose the wrong image, while schizophrenic individuals chose the correct image consistently.

The optical illusion test features researchers showing volunteers high-contrast black-and-white patterned images. The images have a contrast of levels. The volunteer must match the image with the identical shape in the lineup. The average person often struggles with this test, while a person with schizophrenia has a different experience. Schizophrenics easily completed the task during testing. Around 12 of the 15 schizophrenic volunteers easily noticed the illusions between the foreground and background images. 

When looking at the various images, the average person notices the central image is grayer than it is in reality. So researchers showed a wide range of gray images to the volunteers. According to Dr. Dakin, “Normally, contextual processes in the brain help us to focus on what’s relevant. It can stop our brains from being overwhelmed with information. This process seems to be less effective in the schizophrenic brain. Possibly due to insufficient inhibition – that is, the process by which cells in the brain switch each other off.”

2. Hollow Mask Illusion

The average person has a difficult time understanding a hollow mask. Instead of seeing it as hollow, it appears normal to them. In other words, when they see a concave mask, their brain tells them it’s convex, a more familiar face. That’s not the case for people with schizophrenia who are not as easily duped.

In a 2009 study, researchers discovered that 16 volunteers without schizophrenia saw a convex face instead of a concave mask. On the other hand, 13 schizophrenia participants had a different experience. There’s no trick involved. They see a hollow mask; therefore, it’s a hollow mask. Simply put, they didn’t fall for the illusion.

3. Three Flashes Illusion Test

The three-flashes illusion test features two quick flashes of light. The illusion causes the average eye to see three flashes while those with the mental disorder see three. In a 2008 study, researchers discovered when the flashes were 90 to 100 ms apart, schizophrenic people could easily notice it was simply two flashes. However, the longer apart the flashes, the more difficult it became to tell the number of flashes. 

4. Müller-Lyer and Ponzo Illusions

While it’s pretty challenging to trick a schizophrenic individual with an optical illusion, they have a tough time with the Müller-Lyer and Ponzo Illusions. The illusion involves telling the difference between the lengths of certain lines. It’s actually a bit of a trick, as each line is actually the same length. According to a 2011 study, schizophrenic people have difficulty realizing the lines are identical. 

Conclusion

While these tests can help with diagnosing someone with schizophrenia, they aren’t tried and tested methods. The only way someone can truly know if they are suffering from this disorder is by visiting their local GP or a specialist and getting an expert opinion.