Trait dissociation is associated with dissociative experiences arising from disrupted multisensory integration

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Dissociation is a detachment from the body, impacting sensory integration.
• The brain integrates multisensory information, like vision and touch, for body perception.
• Altered sensory processing may underlie dissociative symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the link between multisensory integration and dissociation.
• To explore how visual-tactile sensory delays affect body ownership perception.
• To identify neural mechanisms associated with dissociation.

Main Methods:

• A non-clinical sample (N=100) participated in a virtual reality experiment.
• Participants experienced self-touch with delayed visual feedback via a head-mounted display.
• Sensory delay, self- vs. other-touch, and cardiac reactivity were systematically varied.

Main Results:

• Increased visual delay correlated with greater self-reported body dis-ownership.
• Individuals with high trait dissociation reported more dis-ownership and were sensitive to sensory delays.
• Higher dissociation was linked to similar cardiac responses to self- and other-touch.

Conclusions:

• Altered multisensory integration is a key mechanism in dissociation.
• Dissociation may involve an increased awareness of self-action and sensory fractionation.
• Virtual reality offers a method to study body perception and dissociation.