Explaining delusions of control: the comparator model 20 years on

Abstract

Over the last 20 years the comparator model for delusions of control has received considerable support in terms of empirical studies. However, the original version clearly needs to be replaced by a model with a much greater degree of sophistication and specificity. Future developments are likely to involve the specification of the role of dopamine in the model and a generalisation of its explanatory power to the whole range of positive symptoms. However, we will still need to explain why symptoms can be so variable and we still do not understand the origin of the most mysterious symptom of all: thought insertion.