The Sensitivity Threshold Model (STM): A Conceptual Framework for Integrating 22 Canonical Findings in Schizophrenia

The Sensitivity Threshold Model (STM) is a systems-level conceptual framework proposing that psychosis may emerge when the dynamic relation Sensitivity × Load > Capacity drives neural systems beyond stability thresholds. STM formalizes three core constructs: Sensitivity, defined as trait-level neural reactivity shaped by genetic, developmental, sensory, and pharmacological factors; Load, defined as the cumulative influence of physiological, environmental, cognitive, immune, and metabolic stressors; and Capacity, defined as the regulatory and processing resources supporting neural stability, including working memory, inhibitory control, sleep-dependent restoration, and energetic reserve. This paper introduces STM as an organizational framework and illustrates its integrative potential through conceptual mappings to 22 canonical findings in schizophrenia—widely reported empirical phenomena that have constrained theoretical accounts in the field. These mappings are presented as illustrative demonstrations of how diverse findings can be organized within a common systems-level structure rather than as confirmatory evidence or evaluative comparisons. Each finding is examined across multiple analytical levels, including large-scale brain systems, network dynamics, cellular processes, and clinically observed behavior. STM does not adjudicate among competing theories or propose a singular causal pathway. Empirical validation and comparative evaluation are explicitly beyond the scope of this work and identified as priorities for future research.