Perception time in the neuropsychopathology: A systematic review

While some alterations in the perception of time occur in patients suffering from neuropsychopathological disorders, some studies have attempted to elucidate the neurobiological process involved. The objective of this systematic review was to integrate the neurobiological findings on perception of time disruptions in different neuropsychopathologies. Several data bases (1975-2016) were used (e.g. ELSEVIER, NCBI, EBSCO, SpringerLink, ResearchGate, OXFORD, SciELO, Redalyc, PubMed, UNAM), to extract the main concepts about temporal perception, the cerebral structures, and the neurotransmitters involved, as well as the paradigms and methods used. Among the 135 references, 39 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and are related with time estimation alteration in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, neurodegeneration, and mood disorders. It is currently not possible to obtain definitive conclusions about time perception impairments in several psychopathologies. Nevertheless, some brain structures seem to be essential for time perception: cerebellum, basal nuclei, prefrontal cortex, parietal cortex, and hippocampus. The lack of standardised measurement tools that allows a consistent comparison to be made between data is the main methodological failure.