N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor hypofunction causes recurrent and transient failures of perceptual inference

Veith Andreas Weilnhammer; Marcus Rothkirch; Deniz Yilmaz; Merve Fritsch; Lena Esther Ptasczynski; Katrin Reichenbach; Lukas Roediger; Philip Robert Corlett; Philipp Sterzer

doi:10.1093/brain/awaf011

NeuroscienceBrainJan 13, 2025

Peer-reviewed journal article

N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor hypofunction causes recurrent and transient failures of perceptual inference

Veith Andreas Weilnhammer iD, Marcus Rothkirch iD, Deniz Yilmaz iD, Merve Fritsch iD, Lena Esther Ptasczynski iD, Katrin Reichenbach iD, Lukas Roediger iD, Philip Robert Corlett iD, Philipp Sterzer iD

Abstract

1Perception alternates between an external mode, driven by sensory inputs, and an internal mode, shaped by prior knowledge. We found that the external mode is more prevalent during pharmacologically induced N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction and in schizophrenia. This NMDAR-dependent increase in external mode suggests that psychotic experiences are caused by recurring dissociations of perception from prior knowledge about the world.

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