, 2006) and the authenticity of the condition is well established (Cohen Kadosh and Henik, 2007). Despite this, our understanding of the neuropsychiatric profiles of synaesthetes remains limited and surprisingly few studies have addressed whether synaesthesia is linked to more widespread abnormalities in perception that extend beyond the synaesthetic experience itself. There is, however, buy Galunisertib growing evidence to suggest that synaesthesia may be linked to a broader phenotype. For example, synaesthetes who experience colour show early processing differences to stimuli which do not evoke synaesthesia (Barnett et al., 2008); and the presence of synaesthesia has been linked with other phenotypic

manifestations including out-of-body experiences (Terhune, 2009), creativity (Ward et al., 2008), mental imagery (Barnett and Newell, 2008), and mitempfindung (Burrack et al., 2006). Here, we examined the relationship between synaesthesia involving colour and the abnormal perceptions observed in schizophrenia by assessing levels of schizotypy

in synaesthetes and non-synaesthetes. We report that synaesthesia for colour is associated with greater levels of positive and disorganised schizotypy (Fig. 1A), suggesting widespread perceptual differences in synaesthesia that extend beyond the synaesthetic concurrent. Thirty synaesthetes who experience colour as their evoked sensation (29 females; 1 male; mean age ± s.e.m = 41.5 ± 1.91 years) and thirty age and gender matched controls (29 females; 1 male; mean age ± s.e.m = 41 ± 1.93 years) took part in this study. Cases of synaesthesia were randomly www.selleckchem.com/products/ABT-737.html selected from our own database of synaesthetes recruited via self-referral and screening of undergraduates/members of the public. All cases were confirmed using tests of consistency over time, with subjects demonstrating test–retest consistency of 85% or a score of ≤1 on the Eagleman Synaesthesia Test Battery (Eagleman et al., 2007). Participants were administered the Oxford–Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (O-Life; Mason

and Claridge, 2006). This is a standardized measure of schizotypy, which is designed to measure sub-clinical much schizophrenic-like symptoms in the general population (Cochrane et al., 2010 and Mason and Claridge, 2006). The questionnaire has been normed in typical and schizophrenic groups (Cochrane et al., 2010 and Mason and Claridge, 2006) and shown to be a sensitive and valid tool for examining schizotypy in both groups (Cochrane et al., 2010). The measure has four scales that are examined by forced-choice responses (yes/no responses): Unusual Experiences (UnEx), Introvertive Anhedonia (IntAn), Cognitive Disorganisation (CogDis), and Impulsive Non-Conformity (ImpNon). The UnEx scale measures traits related to the positive symptoms of psychosis (e.g., unusual perceptual experiences and hallucinations). IntAn examines negative aspects of schizotypy (e.g., lack of enjoyment of social activities).