Lateralized anomalous perceptual experiences in schizophrenia.

Four cases of schizophrenia are described, in which subjects reported anomalous perceptual experiences confined to one visual field, in all cases the left visual field. The pattern, content and laterality of such anomalous perceptions point to the presence of right hemisphere dysfunction in schizophrenia. Further evidence to this effect comes from examining the type of anomalous perceptual experiences reported by subjects with focal lesions in either hemisphere. Those with right hemisphere damage but not those with left hemisphere damage report almost identical experiences to those seen in the 4 schizophrenics described here.