Emotional Processing in Schizophrenia: A Focus on Affective States

Schizophrenia has traditionally been viewed as a psychiatric illness with prominent clinical features of psychosis and cognitive dysfunction. Psychotic symptoms frequently consist of auditory hallucinations, paranoid or somatic delusions, and ideas of reference. Contrary to negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction, psychotic—or “positive—”symptoms commonly fluctuate with the course of illness and respond to neuroleptic treatment.