Functional Neuroimaging in Dissociative Disorders: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Dissociative disorders involve disruptions in memory, consciousness, perception, motor control, and identity.
• Neuroimaging studies, though limited, suggest distinct brain activation patterns in these disorders.
• Understanding these neural correlates is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and identify the primary functional neuroimaging correlates of dissociative disorders.
• To synthesize findings from existing neuroimaging research on dissociative disorders.
• To provide a foundation for future research and clinical applications.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of functional neuroimaging studies was conducted using the PubMed database.
• Studies adhered to PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews.
• The review included 13 studies encompassing dissociative identity disorder (DID), depersonalization disorder, dissociative amnesia, and other specified dissociative disorders.

Main Results:

• Prefrontal cortex dysfunction is a frequently observed correlate in dissociative disorders.
• Altered functional neural networks in the caudate nucleus are associated with identity state changes in DID.
• Dysfunction in the anterior cingulate gyrus, parietal, temporal, and insular cortices, and subcortical areas were also reported.

Conclusions:

• Prefrontal cortex dysfunction is a common finding across various dissociative disorders.
• Functional alterations in other cortical and subcortical regions are linked to these diagnoses.
• Further research is necessary to elucidate specific neurofunctional correlations for each dissociative disorder to develop targeted treatments.