As Medical Technology Evolves, So Do the Symptoms of Schizophrenics and Hyperchondriacs

Last August, the comedy show The Colbert Report ran a segment that hints at real-world implications of how medical technology is affecting schizophrenics. In that segment, Stephen Colbert explained: "we all know that it can be a challenge to care for the insane, the elderly, and the insanely elderly. It is hard to know they are taking their meds. Thankfully, the FDA has approved a new digital device that is inserted into a tablet to solve this problem."

This was a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Proteus Digital Health swallowable tracking device that can be embedded into pharmaceutical tablets. The company explains that the device can help in the care of diseases of the central nervous system, including schizophrenia. While schizophrenics' symptoms can often be well-managed through medication, adherence to the prescription is key.

While the Proteus device could be a game-changer for tracking medication adherence, Colbert found its potential use case in schizophrenics amusing: "nothing is more reassuring to a schizophrenic than a corporation inserting sensors into your body and beaming information to all of the people watching your every move," he quipped.

On a related note, Eric Topol, MD, director of Scripps Translational Science Institute also discussed the potential of medical technology to spur a certain amount of paranoia. Topol has helped popularize the term "e-hypochondriac" to refer to the likelihood that our growing capacity to track health metrics and share them regularly with anyone interested in them will spur a certain amount of paranoia about health problems.

Last year, researchers explained that schizophrenia symptoms can be an example of life imitating art. The researchers published a paper called 'The Truman Show Delusion: Psychosis in the Global Village,' which explored how schizophrenia and delusion-based mental disorders have evolved over the past few decades. In one example, researchers told the story of a person who traveled to New York to find his or her "life film director." In another case, a journalist experiencing a manic episode was convinced that his medical condition was fake.

Evidence is growing that the symptoms of psychosis can be influenced to a large extent by both culture and new technologies. As an article in Aesop Magazine explains, this is not a new idea:

The fluidity of schizophrenics' symptoms mirrors those with unprovable and outlandish claims, which also evolve over the decades. For example, many eyewitness UFO sightings during the 1950s described spacecraft with a retro style. As time progressed, the nature of UFO sightings changed too: Instead of retro spacecraft described, for instance, in the 1950s, eyewitness reports described spacecraft reminiscent of those in the television and film programs of the time.

For those suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, advances in medical devices may play a role is seeding hallucinations. Cochlear implants, for instance, have been linked to musical hallucination. Neurostimulators, valuable implants that can reduce chronic pain, could fuel delusional thoughts of mind control. Ocular implants, devices that give the gift of sight, could be fodder for delusional thoughts as well.

While many delusional thoughts are irrational, they sometimes contain an element of reality. Many of such hallucinations involve the sensation of being observed by some sort of third party. Increasingly, that could be case. In any case, with recent NSA revelations, it's clear that the definition of privacy has evolved in recent years.