The eye-roll sign and the PAS dissociation scale.

Abstract

In the past decade we have seen many new articles devoted to the study of dissociation and its implications in health and illness. The area of dissociative disorders received special attention with many authors pointing out the probability that dissociative disorders may, in fact, be much more pervasive than used to be thought. The need for a reliable measurement of dissociation has become more acute. This paper reports the results of a study comparing the Perceptual Alteration Scale (PAS), a behavioral scale measuring dissociation capacity, with Spiegel's Eye-Roll Sign (ERS) a postulated biological marker for the capacity to dissociate. 107 subjects' PAS scales and eye-roll sign measurements were analyzed. The results showed a mean PAS score of 155, and a mean eye-roll of 3.7. The Pearson Correlation Coefficients were computed for the eye-roll scores vs. the PAS scores, and showed a correlation of 0.55, with a significance of p < 0.0001. These results indicate a high positive correlation between the eye-roll sign and the PAS, spanning through the entire dissociative continuum. Further studies are needed to correlate the eye-roll sign with the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), and other measurements of dissociation.