Dissociative Amnesia Research Articles

Functional neurological disorder in pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period: systematic review.

Functional neurological disorder (FND) most often presents in women of childbearing age, but little is known about its course and outcomes during pregnancy, labour and postpartum (the perinatal period). We searched MEDLINE, PsycInfo and Embase combining search terms for FND and the perinatal period. We extracted data on patient demographics, subtype of FND, timing of symptom onset, comorbidities, medications, type of delivery, investigations, treatment, pregnancy outcomes and FND symptoms at follow-up. We included 36 studies (34 case reports and 2 case series) describing 43 patients. Six subtypes of FND were identified: functional (dissociative) seizures, motor weakness, movement disorder, dissociative amnesia, speech disorders and visual symptoms. New onset of perinatal FND was more common in the third trimester and onwards. Some women with functional seizures were exposed to unnecessary anti-seizure prescriptions and intensive care admissions. Prospective studies are urgently needed to explore how FND interacts with women's health in the perinatal period.

The Pattern of Dissociative Symptoms Differs between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and First Esketamine Administration for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Abstract Objective Dissociative symptoms are commonly observed during the first administration of esketamine for the treatment of Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) and in a substantial minority of patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We examine differences in the number and pattern of dissociative symptoms (depersonalization, derealization, dissociative amnesia, identity fragmentation) reported by these two groups. Data Selection Data for patients diagnosed with PTSD (N = 134) were drawn from studies of individuals with exposure to civilian traumas, childhood abuse or combat trauma. Data for patients with TRD undergoing their first treatment session with ESK (N = 759) were drawn from published results detailing the presentation of dissociative symptoms during FDA registration trials. Data Synthesis Dissociative symptoms in general were more prevalent in the ESK group (P < 0.01). However, a significant (p < 0.0001) Group x Item Domain interaction revealed that dissociative amnesia and identity fragmentation were endorsed more frequently relative to the other domains in the PTSD group relative to the ESK group. Depersonalization and derealization were the most prominent dissociative symptoms endorsed by the ESK group, whereas items from the dissociative amnesia domain were endorsed most frequently in the PTSD group. Conclusions The pattern of dissociative symptoms endorsed by patients with PTSD differs from that reported by patients with TRD receiving esketamine for the first time, suggesting the possibility that the etiology of “dissociative symptoms” may vary to some degree across therapeutic conditions.

Judges and lawyers’ beliefs in repression and dissociative amnesia may imperil justice: further guidance required

ABSTRACT This article examines continuing misunderstanding about memory function especially for trauma, across three UK samples (N = 717). Delayed allegations of child sexual and physical abuse are prevalent in Western legal systems and often rely upon uncorroborated memory testimony to prove guilt. U.K. legal professionals and jurors typically assess the reliability of such memory recall via common sense, yet decades of scientific research show common sense beliefs often conflict with science. Recent international surveys show controversial notions of repression and accurate memory recovery remain strongly endorsed. In historical cases, these notions may lead to wrongful convictions. The current study surveyed the U.K. public, lawyers, and mental health professionals’ beliefs about repression, dissociative amnesia and false memories. Study findings give unique data on judges’ and barristers’ beliefs. Overall, the study findings reinforce international scientists’ concerns of a science – knowledge-gap. Repression was strongly endorsed by lay, legal and clinical participants (> 78%) as was dissociative amnesia (> 87%). Moreover, suboptimal professional legal education and juror guidance may increase misunderstanding. Correcting beliefs about memory function, and extending the contribution of memory science in the courtroom remains an important quest for cognitive scientists.

Retrograde and semantic amnesia in a case of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome: did something lead to a psychogenic memory loss? A single-case study

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe a case of Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) with an atypical cognitive profile. Method: A 41-year-old PTLDS patient underwent comprehensive neuropsychological testing and psychological assessment. Results: The patient exhibited impaired intensive attention but preserved selective attention. Executive functions were normal. Short-term and anterograde memory were intact, while retrograde and semantic memory were significantly impaired. The patient also experienced identity loss, specific phobias, dissociative symptoms, and depressed mood. Conclusions: Severe episodic-autobiographical and retrograde semantic amnesia was consistent with some reports of dissociative amnesia. Loss of identity and phobias were also highly suggestive of a psychogenic mechanism underlying amnesia.

Perinatal Care for Persons with Dissociative Disorders.

Caring for persons with mental health diagnoses can be daunting, especially when the conditions are rare, and there is little evidence to guide nursing practice. There is minimal information about caring for persons with dissociative disorders beyond the behavioral health literature, much less as in obstetric context. Women are more likely to experience dissociative disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders than men. Severe maternal morbidity is significantly more common in women with a history of stress and trauma-related conditions, highlighting the importance of providing guidance for clinicians caring for them. It is imperative that nurses caring for women who may dissociate understand the complexities of the disorders and advocate for early, interdisciplinary care. Dissociative disorders, including dissociative identity disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder with dissociation, dissociative amnesia, depersonalization-derealization disorder, other specified dissociative disorders, and the care of pregnant persons with these conditions are presented.

Dissociative Amnesia: Remembrances Under Cover.

The existence or questionability of "repressed memories" can be discussed as being a matter of definition. It seems, however, far-fetched to consider all "lost" memories as caused by encoding problems, brain damage, forgetfulness, failure to disclose events, and so on. We argue that dissociative amnesia (DA) (or "psychogenic amnesia," or "functional amnesia," or, as we favor to call it, "mnestic block syndrome") is caused by psychic alterations, but ultimately they can be traced to changes in the physiology of the brain, as we are of the opinion that all memory processes-positive or negative-alter brain functions, sometimes more permanently, sometimes transiently. We have proven this idea using functional imaging techniques, in particular fluoro-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography. Having investigated dozens of patients with severe and long-lasting DA conditions, we believe it to be disrespectful to many (but not to all) of the affected patients to question their disease condition, which can be proven to be not caused by feigning, malingering, or direct brain damage.

Transient global amnesia

Transient global amnesia

Emotionally charged events as a trigger for the acute development of psychotic symptomatology. A case report

IntroductionA 21-year-old male presented to the emergency room due to strange behaviorObjectivesShow how emotionally intense events can be a stress factor leading to dissociative or psychotic symptoms.MethodsCase report and literature reviewResultsThe patient is in Spain after having attended the meeting with the Pope at the World Youth Day in Portugal. He is an engineering student who, in the week prior to the trip, had high levels of stress related to exam time. He also explained that he had recently had conflicts with his partner. In the psychocopathological examination of the patient, a global insomnia of 3 days of duration stands out. In addition, a disorganized and disjointed speech focused on high concern that something bad could happen to his family and partner. In the interview he appears restless, nervous, with a perplexed contact. The patient’s companion says that he has been very worried and obsessed about his relationship with his partner, with constant doubts about asking her to marry him. It is decided to start olanzapine, receiving up to 15 mg per day. In the following interviews he shows better contact and a more organized speech.Conclusions It is known that emotionally intense situations can be a trigger for the development of psychotic symptoms. There are different manifestations of these stressful situations such as physical symptoms like fainting or but mental symptoms are also described such as dissociative amnesias, or less frequent as in this case psychotic symptoms. They are usually of sudden onset and early remission with good response to anxiolytics or antipsychotics.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Child Maltreatment and Survival in Jane Rowan’s The River of Forgetting: A Memoir of Healing from Sexual Abuse

In the twenty-first century, child maltreatment has broadened our perception of the relationship between child sexual abuse, survival and the healing process from psychological trauma. Trauma narratives are considered personalized responses to the awareness of the drastic effects of sexual assaults on children. Memoirs illustrate the effect of child sexual abuse on memory and identity. This research paper aims at applying Jennifer Freyd’s trauma theory that involves child maltreatment and emotional neglect to Jane Rowan’s The River of Forgetting (2010). It deals with the concept of betrayal trauma, its symptoms and some of the defensive surviving strategies such as dissociative amnesia and dissociative identity disorder (DID) as adaptive responses to childhood sexual abuse. Rowan’s memoir is considered a personal account of her psychological suffering due to her repressed memory of being sexually abused by her father during her early childhood. It examines how the protagonist struggles to survive among persistent traumatic memories that are repressed during forty years of her life. Finally, the textual analysis clarifies the process of recovery from psychological trauma by using psychotherapy, dance therapy, art therapy and scriptotherapy.

Recurrent Proceedings of Distress: The Psychological trauma of a Teenager in Elie Wiesel’s “The Night”

Trauma studies was inveterate in the early 2000s as a critical study which scrutinize the facet of the consequences on how literature deals with the outcome of personal trauma and the resilience that leads. Psychological Trauma vandalize the peace and harmony of psyche that was followed by the acquaintance of series of traumatic events. Sigmund Freud inaugurated Trauma theory initially with the notion of addressing sexual violence such as rape, battering, incest, considering the female as a focal point as it advanced to the next level of the traumatic psychic scars inflicted by the tortures, genocide in regards to the holocaust. The shock and the stressors of the incident pave way for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which make the victim arduous to cope up with daily life make them undergo abnormal activities namely sleepless nights, derealization, anxiety disorder, dissociative amnesia etc. In the Memoir, ‘The Night’ by Elie Wiesel, narrated the traumas of a young protagonist named Eliezer, an Orthodox Jewish teenager who undergone traumatic experience, because of witnessing ill treatment and being a prisoner in a Nazi German concentration camp. He was enforced to go on for days in the absence of the fundamental necessities which are needed for a human to survive. Those refusals held back his will to strive and left him traumatic that he ceased to response for the happenings he witnessed. His change from being a normal boy who was steadfast to religion, how shattered he has become after receiving the recurring cruel punishments and being a victim to the inhumane behaviour is noticeable.

Американский двойник / американский психопат в творческом тупике

The article focuses on American fiction and detective thrillers where the writer and his double feature as central characters. Such a combination has not previously received special attention. The divided mind provides a wide range of possibilities for fascination and exploring the fundamental fears of fragmentation and potential destruction of the Self. In Stephen King’s novella “Secret Window, Secret Garden” (1990), crime, duplicity, madness and dissociative amnesia are integrated into the story of the writer's block. The present article, among other things, analyzes the adaptation of the novella — David Koepp’s Secret Window, 2004. Besides, it highlights the changes that the script underwent. Koepp came up with his own ending that was radically different from the Epilogue of King's story. Alongside with madness proper, King's horror and Koepp's film deconstruct the writer’s block as the result of unresolved traumas and the cause of a whole bunch of pathologies, as well as the fear of breakdown. The novella and its screen version are, in fact, phenomenological studies of mental disorders. A close comparative analysis shows that the film offers a rare example of the superiority of adaptation over the original. A particular attention in the article is paid to the imagery of ears of corn in the film, functioning both as a cannibalistic grotesque and as a visual metaphor of success.

Time to Heal: Trauma's Impact on Rape & Sexual Assault Statutes of Limitations

Short statutes of limitations for sex crimes ask the impossible of many victims: report the crime before they have recovered from the trauma. Perpetrators go free as a direct result of the injury they caused. Nearly a third of victims of rape and sexual assault have PTSD during their lifetimes. PTSD is associated with three symptoms pertinent to reporting a crime: avoidance coping (avoiding distressing thoughts, feelings, or reminders of the attack), dissociative amnesia (forgetting important or all aspects of the attack), and depression. These symptoms all affect a victim’s psychological ability to report a crime before a short statute of limitations runs.
 This Article summarizes and critiques the current state of statutes of limitations across the country for rape, forcible rape, and sexual assault. In many states, the statute of limitations is shockingly short. No state tolls limitations periods for trauma-induced reporting delay, but every state should. In fact, given the rates of PTSD among victims and the associated symptoms, this Article advocates for extending statutes of limitations in all cases to ten years for rape and sexual assault and abolishing limitation periods for forcible rape. These changes will give victims more time to heal from the trauma inflicted on them, allowing victims to report when they are ready, and will help ensure that attackers will not escape punishment because of the trauma they inflicted.

Factors that contribute to an inability to remember an important aspect of a traumatic event

ABSTRACT Dissociative amnesia is controversial. We tested other factors that could contribute to an inability to remember an important aspect of a traumatic event: how traumatic the event was, organic amnesia, dissociative state, childhood amnesia, expression suppression, sleep disturbance, repeated experiences, and ordinary forgetting. Trauma survivors who reported an inability to remember an important aspect of a traumatic event rated the event as traumatic as trauma survivors who reported no such inability to remember. Moreover, all cases of an inability to remember an important aspect of the traumatic event could be explained by at least one factor other than dissociative amnesia. These findings are contrary to dissociative amnesia. Compared to participants who reported no inability to remember an important aspect of the traumatic event, participants who did report an inability to remember were more likely to (1) have felt disconnected from their body during the traumatic event, which may have altered memory encoding, (2) have experienced sleep problems in the year after the traumatic event, which may have reduced memory consolidation, and (3) have experienced the traumatic event repeatedly, which may have led to less detailed memories. These findings have implications for the inclusion of dissociative amnesia in the DSM.

An Item Response Theory Analysis of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 Among Veterans.

We used item response theory (IRT) analysis to examine Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) item performance using data from three large samples of veterans (total N = 808) using both binary and ordinal rating methods. Relative to binary ratings, ordinal ratings provided good coverage from well below to well above average within each symptom cluster. However, coverage varied by cluster, and item difficulties were unevenly distributed within each cluster, with numerous instances of redundancy. For both binary and ordinal scores, flashbacks, dissociative amnesia, and self-destructive behavior items showed a pattern of high difficulty but relatively poor discrimination. Results indicate that CAPS-5 ordinal ratings provide good severity coverage and that most items accurately differentiated between participants by severity. Observed uneven distribution and redundancy in item difficulty suggest there is opportunity to create an abbreviated version of the CAPS-5 for determining PTSD symptom severity, but not DSM-5 PTSD diagnosis, without sacrificing precision.

Ketamine’s acute effects on negative brain states are mediated through distinct altered states of consciousness in humans

Ketamine commonly and rapidly induces dissociative and other altered states of consciousness (ASCs) in humans. However, the neural mechanisms that contribute to these experiences remain unknown. We used functional neuroimaging to engage key regions of the brain’s affective circuits during acute ketamine-induced ASCs within a randomized, multi-modal, placebo-controlled design examining placebo, 0.05 mg/kg ketamine, and 0.5 mg/kg ketamine in nonclinical adult participants (NCT03475277). Licensed clinicians monitored infusions for safety. Linear mixed effects models, analysis of variance, t-tests, and mediation models were used for statistical analyses. Our design enabled us to test our pre-specified primary and secondary endpoints, which were met: effects of ketamine across dose conditions on (1) emotional task-evoked brain activity, and (2) sub-components of dissociation and other ASCs. With this design, we also could disentangle which ketamine-induced affective brain states are dependent upon specific aspects of ASCs. Differently valenced ketamine-induced ASCs mediated opposing effects on right anterior insula activity. Participants experiencing relatively higher depersonalization induced by 0.5 mg/kg of ketamine showed relief from negative brain states (reduced task-evoked right anterior insula activity, 0.39 SD). In contrast, participants experiencing dissociative amnesia showed an exacerbation of insula activity (0.32 SD). These results in nonclinical participants may shed light on the mechanisms by which specific dissociative states predict response to ketamine in depressed individuals.

Impaired subjective organisation of memory in psychogenic amnesia

Impaired subjective organisation of memory in psychogenic amnesia

Exploring Perpetrator Trauma Among a Cohort of Violent Juvenile Offenders

Globally, extensive research has been conducted on psychological trauma. The main intention of this scientific enquiry was to provide insights into the explanatory and etiological factors of such trauma, as well as provide measures of how to manage and treat it effectively. However, much of these research studies on psychological trauma have focused primarily on victims and witnesses of trauma, completely overlooking and neglecting offenders (perpetrators) and their trauma. This study set out to explore perpetrator trauma among juvenile offenders incarcerated for violent offenses. The study was qualitative in nature, using descriptive phenomenology to provide descriptive accounts of perpetrator trauma as experienced by the participants. A single case study design was utilized as a research design. The data were collected using semistructured audio-recorded individual interviews with 10 participants. The findings supported the existence of perpetrator trauma as the offenders experienced multidimensional consequences from their actions. They experienced various symptoms related to or associated with their offenses and victims, including reliving symptoms, psychotic symptoms, psychogenic amnesia of the offense and the victims, and experienced a persistent negative emotional state. They also engaged in reckless and self-destructive behaviors, avoidant behaviors, and significant behavioral changes could be noted in their behavior.

Beliefs in repressed memory and dissociative amnesia from a cross-cultural lens

Purpose This study aimed to examine beliefs in repressed memory and dissociative amnesia from a cross-cultural perspective. Design/methodology/approach Chinese (n = 123) and Belgian student participants (n = 270) received several statements tapping into various dimensions of repressed memory and dissociative amnesia. Participants provided belief ratings for each of these statements. Because the field of psychoanalysis is less well developed in China, it was expected that Chinese participants would believe less in repressed memory and dissociative amnesia than their Belgian counterparts. Findings Overall, beliefs in repressed memory and dissociative amnesia were high among all participants. Although confirmatory analyses revealed that most belief ratings concerning statements did not statistically significantly differ between the two samples, Chinese participants did statistically believe less that therapy can recover lost traumatic memories than Belgian participants. Also, exploratory analyses showed that Chinese participants were more critical towards the idea that traumatic memories can be unconsciously repressed and that these memories can be accurately retrieved in therapy than Belgian participants. Many participants also confused repressed memory with plausible memory mechanisms such as ordinary forgetting. Originality/value The current study extends previous surveys on repressed memory and dissociative amnesia by comparing their beliefs in different cultures.

The Association between Pesticide Exposure and the Development of Fronto-Temporal Dementia-Cum-Dissociative Disorders: A Review.

Pesticides are chemicals used in agricultural fields for the prevention or destruction of pests. Inappropriate use of these substances, as well as handling them without using personal protective equipment, may result in serious health problems such as neurodegenerative diseases and mental disorders. Previous studies have demonstrated the adverse effects of pesticides on brain function. However, some researchers have associated pesticide poisoning with the development of disorders such as dissociative amnesia, multiple personality disorders, and depersonalization disorder. The objective of this work was to perform a bibliographic review of the relationship between pesticide poisoning and the development of dissociative disorders. Previous studies suggest that the duration of pesticide exposure is a major determinant in the development of dissociative diseases and disorders. The information obtained in this review suggests that there is no specific relationship between dissociative disorders and pesticide poisoning. However, these results point to associating the most representative symptoms of dissociative disorder (such as amnesia and memory loss) with pesticide exposure. Based on the bibliographic search, possible mechanisms of action were suggested in an attempt to explain a possible association between exposure to pesticides and the appearance of dissociative disorders.

Did Dissociative Amnesia Evolve?

Dissociative amnesia is a diagnosis category that implies a proposed mechanism (often called dissociation) by which amnesia is caused by psychogenic means, such as trauma, and that amnesia is reversible later. Dissociative amnesia is listed in some of the most influential diagnostic manuals. Authors have noted the similarities in definition to repressed memories. Dissociative amnesia is a disputed category and phenomenon, and here I discuss the plausibility that this cognitive mechanism evolved. I discuss some general conditions by which cognitive functions will evolve, that is, the relatively continuous adaptive pressure by which a cognitive ability would clearly be adaptive if variation produced it. I discuss how adaptive gene mutations typically spread from one individual to the whole species. The article also discusses a few hypothetical scenarios and several types of trauma, to examine the likely adaptive benefits of blocking out memories of trauma, or not. I conclude that it is unlikely that dissociative amnesia evolved, and invite further development of these ideas and scenarios by others.