Apophenia

In the middle of the last century, the psychologist and neuropathologist Klaus Conrad defined the term "apophenia" (translated from Latin apophene (to discuss, to announce)). By this term, the psychologist meant the ability of the human psyche to grasp the relationship in utopian or random information and to find a share of meaning in random combinations and coincidences. Apophenia can also be called an illusory attempt to comprehend connections.

Epidemiology

There have been no special statistical studies on how many people in the world suffer from pathological apophony. Psychologists themselves agree that the majority of the world's population has this property of the brain: many consider apophony not a disease, but a normal quality of the human brain. Nevertheless, medicine and psychiatry always talk about apophenia as a certain error of perception, or a separate stage of schizophrenia.

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Causes apophenia

The human brain is in constant search of any non-random events and patterns: such is its nature – to see what is desired where it is absent. However, in some cases – for example, in schizophrenia – this ability of the brain is transformed into a slowly growing pathology, which is characterized by an anxious state, the idea of persecution, “foreign” eavesdropping, etc. Thoughts that arise in the patient’s head are perceived by him as alien, imposed, illusory. This peculiar property of brain activity can be called apophenia – an initially incorrect opinion based on a specific vision and desire.

The cause of pathological apophenia may be a combination of several factors leading to disorders of brain activity. These may be:

• frequent stress, alcohol abuse or drug addiction, taking certain medications;
• dysfunction of brain neurotransmitters;
• hereditary predisposition (if someone in the family suffered from schizophrenia or delusional states, then there is a risk that similar diseases, including apophenia, will occur in other generations).

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Risk factors

There are a number of factors that may contribute to the development of apophenia:

• age after 60 years;
• prolonged absence of sleep;
• systemic chronic diseases;
• diseases of the nervous system;
• frequent hospital visits, long-term protracted illnesses;
• severe injuries;
• chronic intoxication;
• disorders of the endocrine system;
• vitamin deficiency in the body.

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Pathogenesis

The term "apophenia" was originally intended to describe the misrepresentation of reality that is part of psychosis. For example, patients with manic states always have connecting thoughts that identify everything that happens with each other.

But nowadays, when speaking about apophenia, we may mean normal, healthy thinking, not provoked by a mental disorder. Sometimes apophenia is a kind of "violent fantasy" of a person, in some cases having no logical basis.

Both types of apophenia are quite common and have many common characteristics.

Research conducted by scientists has led to the conclusion that apophenia can be caused by excessive function of the right hemisphere. It is this part of the brain that is responsible for all sorts of metaphors and associative combinations.

Dopamine is considered an additional factor in the development of this condition. The study showed that the higher the level of dopamine in the blood, the more often patients see logic in random coincidences.

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Symptoms apophenia

At every step a person may be lurking for some coincidences or random situations. Most people do not pay attention to them and do not look for a specific connection between events. However, some people mentally build a whole logical (in their opinion) chain from such coincidences and individual events, and even make every effort to prove their case to others.

It can be said that a person experiences a replacement of real events with a system he has invented himself.

If we talk about apophenia, which is typical for a healthy person, then in this case the person can become a hostage of religious influence, an inexplicable series of situations. For example, one of the manifestations of apophenia is superstition - many people groundlessly believe that if a black cat crosses their path, then they should expect trouble (and if this happens twice on the same day, then it is better not to leave the house at all). Such people are confident in their superstition, and they are not at all interested in the complete absence of any meaning and evidence.

The first signs of apophenia can appear already in conscious childhood - these can be not only superstitions, but also certain rituals, associations, etc. Most often, people with a developed imagination, with a certain amount of talent, but with a weakened nervous system are subject to this condition.

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Complications and consequences

People diagnosed with pathological apophenia may also suffer from other mental disorders. For example, they often have depressive states and obsessive ideas. In severe cases, rejection of their opinions may provoke aggression or inappropriate behavior in patients.

If apophenia is uncontrolled, the patient may experience problems in society and in his personal life.

If the patient does not consider it necessary to undergo treatment, the symptoms of apophenia will accompany him for the rest of his life.

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Diagnostics apophenia

To diagnose pathological apophenia, it is often enough to simply question the patient. The doctor clarifies some important points for diagnosis:

• heredity;
• presence of diseases and injuries;
• use of alcohol, drugs or medications;
• stability of the patient's mental state.

To clarify the condition of the body, the doctor may prescribe:

• blood and urine tests (to exclude inflammatory processes in the body);
• blood tests to assess the balance of vitamins and microelements in the body;
• blood sugar test.

If a doctor suspects any disease that could cause the development of pathological apophenia, then in this case he conducts the following studies:

• tomography – to exclude tumor processes;
• ECG – to assess heart function;
• encephalogram – to assess the state of the brain.

Diagnostics of the endocrine system, kidneys and liver may also be required.

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Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnostics allows you to make a diagnosis if any symptoms indicate several pathologies at once. Thus, before making a diagnosis of apophenia, the doctor will definitely evaluate the differences between the corresponding clinical picture and delusional disorder, schizophrenia, affective psychosis and psychogenia.

Treatment apophenia

If the cause of apophenia is an organic disorder of the brain caused by chronic intoxication or trauma, then the doctor will first prescribe medications to relieve the underlying disease.

If the diagnosis indicates the presence of mental disorders, antipsychotic drugs may be prescribed - for example, Triftazin, Aminazin and other similar drugs. Such medications are dopamine receptor blockers in brain structures. However, in some cases, such drugs can provoke the development of neurolepsy. To prevent this from happening, a drug such as Cycladol should be used at the same time.

Some specialists use new generation drugs – Azaleptin, Haloperidol, Azaleptol. These drugs block not only dopamine receptors, but also serotonin.

Additionally, the patient receives treatment with tranquilizers and sedatives: Phenazepam, Tazepam, Deprim are prescribed.

The dosage of the drugs and the duration of the course are determined by the doctor.

Prevention

There is no specific prevention of apophenia. In families where people with a high risk of developing apophenia live, it is recommended to maintain a soft, calm aura, with the construction of strong, mutually respectful relationships between household members. Close people should avoid conflicts, not use violence, not start scandals and not resort to assault.

Everyone must learn to ignore stressful situations, avoid conflicts and resolve them exclusively in a peaceful manner.

For individual patients, upon detection of initial symptoms of pathology, the doctor may prescribe antipsychotic drugs in small quantities and only for a short period of time for preventive purposes.

The positive aspects of prevention are:

• leading an active and healthy lifestyle;
• creative activity;
• having friendly relationships with people around you;
• desire to learn new things;
• social activity.

Forecast

The prognosis may depend on the progression and nature of the underlying disease. If the patient has a tendency to further aggravation of the pathology, then manic states and hallucinations may occur.

If drug correction is carried out in a timely and high-quality manner, then apophenia does not entail persistent personality changes and is minimized over a certain individual rehabilitation period.

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