Although external auditory input would be expected to activate
the same regions as those activated during auditory hallucinations,
it is not well understood whether processing of non-hallucinatory
external sound is impacted by the presence of auditory hallucinations.
Specifically, the activation of primary auditory cortex
during the experience of auditory hallucination corresponds to the
fact that auditory hallucinations are perceived as an experience of
actual hearing. Despite the absence of the physical acoustic input,
the primary auditory region in the superior temporal lobe is activated,
which accounts for the generation of hearing sensation. It
is implicated that auditory processing and language processing
may be affected in patients with auditory hallucination. However,
the extent to which activation of the auditory and language
cortices, in response to language and non-language stimuli, may
differ in individuals who experience auditory hallucinations is not
clear.