Dissociative Disorders Flashcards
Define Amnesia
inability to remember events of a specific & significant block of time that has passed
(retrograde, anterograde, or transiet global)
Define depersonalization
Feeling detachment or disconnection from one’s body (watching your body from a corner of the room)
(they retain insight and lose affective response)
During depersonalization _______ is retained but _______ response is lost
- Insight
- affective
Define derealization
A sense that one’s surroundings (or familiar people) are strange or unreal; perceptual distortions
Define identity confusion
feelings of uncertainty, puzzlement or conflict about one’s identity
Define identity alteration
Behaviors indicating the Assumption of different identities (i.e. DID)
(this is objective, identity confusion is subjective)
Retrograde amnesia is _______and Anterograde Amnesia is the ______.
- Loss of prior memories
- Inability to make new memories
(transient global amnesia is both)
Define transient global amnesia
Sudden onset of antara grade and retrograde amnesia for recent events preceding symptoms
(often an isolated event)
_______ (3 events) may cause transient global amnesia
- Valsalva maneuver
- Sexual intercourse
- Strong emotion
(association with familial predisposition for migraines)
Damage to the temporal lobe and hippocampus can cause either retrograde amnesia or anterograde amnesia. Which area, if damaged, will cause anterograde amnesia only?
Basal forebrain
(this structure produces acetylcholine → assist cells and storing new information during learning)
What is the function of acetylcholine in the basal forebrain (collection of structures located in the inferior region of the forebrain, near the midsagittal plane)?
Helps cells store new information during learning
_______ (2 cognitive functions) remain intact with anterograde amnesia.
- short-term working memory
- procedural memories
(personality, intelligence and judment may also be uneffected)
Functions of the medial temporal lobe that may be affected by anterograde amnesia
- Storage and processing of declarative memory (facts)
- Communicates with neocortex to establish and maintain long-term memories
Function of the fornix that may be affected in anterograde amnesia
Carries information from the hippocampus to the limbic system and diencephalon
Describe normal dissociation; which is a normal part of consciousness (2)
- Daydreaming
- Hypnosis and meditation
Normal dissociation allows the mind to _______
process the events of daily life
(maladaptive dissociation interferes with function, is disstressful and may have many severe symptoms)
What is the difference between dissociative amnesia and amnesia?
- Amnesia is the inability to remember events around a specific time
- Dissociative Amnesia is the inability to recall personal information (usually surrounding a traumatic event)
Duration of dissociative amnesia
Minutes to days (or longer); 80% resolve w/in a week
(rapid onset)
Patients with ______ (dissociative disorder) are typically confused and perplexed.
Dissociative Amnesia; may not be able to recall their own name
(anterograde amnesia also presents as disoriented and confused)
Define dissociative Amnesia with dissociative fugue
- Apparently purposeful travel or bewildered wandering
- Associated with amnesia for identity/autobiographical information
Differential diagnosis of dissociative Amnesia and dissociative fugue (3)
- Neurological: brain tumor, injury, dementia
- Substance use: intoxication/blackout
- Malingering: for secondary gain
Dissociative Amnesia treatment
Hypnosis or sodium amobarbital interview → recover memories
(no clear treatment is established; provide safe environment)
Dissociative Identity Disorder: Dx criteria (3)
- Disruption of identity caused by two or more distinct personality states (usually 7)
- Gaps and recall of everyday events, personal information
- Inability to recall important personal information (what’s going on in their family or at work)
Dissociative disorders: prevalence
typically unknown; about 1.5% for DID in 12-month period
Cause of DID
severe sexual & physical childhood abuse
Other symptoms complaints not covered in the dx criteria: DID patients
- headaches
- amnesia
- pseudohallucinations (from w/in the mind; they know they are hallucinating)
(70% also have Borderline PD)
DID treatment (3)
- long-term therapy
- antidepressants (mood & anxiety sx)
- periodic hospitalization
_______ remains in tact in Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder.
reality testing (they are aware of what is going on)
Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder: criteria dx
The presence of persistent or recurrent experiences of depersonalization, derealization, or both
(reality testing remains in tact)
Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder: age of onset
adolescence - early adulthood
Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder: duration of sx
hours - weeks
Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder: triggered by (2)
- substance use
- stress
Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder: treatment (2)
- Trauma
- Related Psych disorders
