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Updated: Sep 30, 2025

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Published on: March 8, 2018
Normal amygdala morphology in dissociative identity disorder
Antje A T S Reinders1, Lora I Dimitrova2, Yolanda R Schlumpf3
1Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
This study found normal amygdala volume in individuals with dissociative identity disorder (DID). This suggests that DID may not be associated with amygdala structural changes, despite other observed brain differences.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Research on amygdala structure in dissociative disorders is limited.
- Previous studies reported inconsistent findings regarding amygdala volume in these conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate global and subregional amygdala volumes in individuals with dissociative identity disorder (DID).
- To compare amygdala morphology between DID patients and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to assess brain volumes.
- Analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were employed to compare volumetric data between groups.
- The study included 32 individuals with DID and 42 healthy controls.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in global or subregional amygdala volumes were found between the DID group and the healthy control group.
- This finding contrasts with other studies using the same dataset that reported morphological aberrations in DID.
Conclusions:
- The amygdala volume appears to be preserved in individuals with dissociative identity disorder.
- Despite normal amygdala volume, other brain regions may exhibit morphological differences in DID.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the neurobiological underpinnings of DID.
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