Volatility Priors Linked to Delusion Recovery

A study published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, led by Cuy Sheffield of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, found that reductions in volatility priors - the brain's expectations about environmental unpredictability - were significantly associated with improvements in delusion severity among patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders recovering from acute psychotic episodes. The six-month longitudinal study of 75 patients and 71 controls showed that elevated volatility priors at baseline declined over time in parallel with reduced delusional thinking and paranoia, suggesting they are a modifiable state marker rather than a fixed trait. The findings point to a potential new treatment target for delusions, complementing existing antipsychotic medications. The research was funded by the United States — National Institute of Mental Health and published by Elsevier.