A Review of Dissociation and Dissociative Disorders

1994 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 591-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Atchison ◽  
A. C. McFarlane
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Dissociative Disorders ◽  
Multiple Personality Disorder ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Multiple Personality ◽  
Post Traumatic

There has been an explosion of activity concerning dissociation and dissociative disorders overseas, but little interest is apparent in Australian psychiatric publications. This article aims to critically examine the current conceptualisation of dissociation and its proposed relevance to the understanding of psychopathology, in order to create discussion about these issues in Australian psychiatry. Multiple personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder are critically examined.

scholarly journals Psychotic-Like Symptoms and the Temporal Lobe in Trauma-Related Disorders: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Assessment of Potential Malingering

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 247054701879704
Author(s):  
Francesca L. Schiavone ◽  
Margaret C. McKinnon ◽  
Ruth A. Lanius
Keyword(s):  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Dissociative Disorders ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

Objective To overview the phenomenology, etiology, assessment, and treatment of psychotic-like symptoms in trauma-related disorders focusing on the proposed role of temporal lobe dysfunction. Method We describe the literature pertaining to (i) psychotic-like symptoms and temporal lobe dysfunction in trauma-related disorders and (ii) psychological testing profiles in trauma-related disorders. We define trauma-related disorders as borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and the dissociative disorders. Our search terms were dissociative disorders, temporal lobe, trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, psychosis, and malingering. Results Trauma-related psychotic-like symptoms are common and can differ in phenomenology from primary psychotic symptoms. Hallucinations consist of auditory and nonauditory content that may or may not relate to traumatic content. Child voices are highly suggestive of complex dissociative disorders. Critically, not only do these symptoms resemble those seen in temporal lobe epilepsy, but the temporal lobe is implicated in trauma-related disorders, thus providing a plausible neurobiological explanation. Despite such evidence, these symptoms are frequently considered atypical and misdiagnosed. Indeed, common structured psychological assessment tools categorize these symptoms as possible indicators of invalid testing profiles. Conclusion Psychotic-like symptoms are common in trauma-related disorders, may be related to temporal lobe dysfunction, and are frequently misinterpreted. This may lead to ineffective treatment and inappropriate determinations of malingering in the forensic system.

Effects of cortisol on memory in women with borderline personality disorder: role of co-morbid post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression

2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 495-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Wingenfeld ◽  
M. Driessen ◽  
K. Terfehr ◽  
N. Schlosser ◽  
S. Carvalho Fernando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Memory Retrieval ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

BackgroundStress and cortisol administration are known to have impairing effects on memory retrieval in healthy humans. These effects are reported to be altered in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but they have not yet been investigated in borderline personality disorder (BPD).MethodIn a placebo-controlled cross-over study, 71 women with BPD and 40 healthy controls received either placebo or 10 mg of hydrocortisone orally before undertaking a declarative memory retrieval task (word list learning) and an autobiographical memory test (AMT). A working memory test was also applied.ResultsOverall, opposing effects of cortisol on memory were observed when comparing patients with controls. In controls, cortisol had impairing effects on memory retrieval whereas in BPD patients cortisol had enhancing effects on memory retrieval of words, autobiographical memory and working memory. These effects were most pronounced for specificity of autobiographical memory retrieval. Patients with BPD alone and those with co-morbid PTSD showed this effect. We also found that co-morbid MDD influenced the cortisol effects: in this subgroup (BPD + MDD) the effects of cortisol on memory were absent.ConclusionsThe present results demonstrate beneficial effects of acute cortisol elevations on hippocampal-mediated memory processes in BPD. The absence of these effects in patients with co-morbid MDD suggests that these patients differ from other BPD patients in terms of their sensitivity to glucocorticoids (GCs).

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