Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH), meaning the experience of hearing voices, occur in 60-75% of patients with schizophrenia. Patients experiencing persistent AVH tend to be interrupted in their daily routines and have trouble keeping regular jobs due to the intrusiveness or abusive contents of voices. In addition, auditory hallucinations are reported to remain even after disappearance of other psychotic symptoms in many patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders after treatment with typical antipsychotics.
The study involves detailed phenomenological assessments of AVH and other psychotic symptoms, as well as side effects of atypical antipsychotics.
