psychiatrist NYC - Auditory hallucinations commonly referred to as “voices” has been a feature of many psychiatric illnesses. Auditory hallucinations involve perceiving sound without an auditory stimulus. It is presumed to be pathology or a symptom that reflects ‘psychosis’ (a break from reality) caused by substance abuse or other medical/psychiatric illnesses that needs to be treated. Other research has shown auditory hallucinations are correlated with an increase in activity of the thalamic and strietal subcortical nuclei, hypothalamus and paralimbic regions in the brain. Dopamine neurotransmitters and metabolism are what is currently implicated and treated by a variety of antipsychotic medications. The treatment and resolution of this symptom has been the way medicine and psychiatry traditionally tracks improvement in patients.