Space dementia and mental illness from isolation

[Duggie73]

Just been watching Armageddon and steve buchemi's character is accused of having this and it got me thinking about mental illness from isolation.
Is this possible? I remember when i was younger someone saying that as our brains are used to being active if we're somewhere without sound or visuals ie'' a soundproofed darkened cell that our brains then makes up sounds and visuals and we then descend into mental illness, is this true and is it possible to become well again or is that it for the brain and the mind remains broken or it in it's state?

[heathfield]

The effect is well-known. Here's a summary of a longer article...

http://jama.ama-assn....ent/168/11/1427.short