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[Dissociative disorders: clinical, neurobiological and therapeutical approaches].

Dissociation is a dysfunction of normally integrated functions like memory, consciousness and perception of environment. This review discusses the clinical and etiological issues of dissociative disorder and highlights the importance of differential diagnosis and psychiatric comorbidities, with special attention for the development of reliable evaluation instruments and treatment guidelines. New approaches of dissociative disorder focus on the importance of the integration of anatomical and functional neuroimaging data, combined with endocrinological and biological studies (lipids), in order to develop some specific neurobiological models. Beyond the inherent singularity of psychotherapeutic intervention, the therapeutic approach varies according to frequently associated comorbidities.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

Dissociative disorders in children: behavioral profiles and problems.

Transient dissociative episodes are a common and normative phenomenon during childhood that generally decrease during adolescence to relatively low levels in adults. Retrospective clinical research has firmly established a connection between childhood trauma and the development of dissociative disorders in adults. A growing number of clinicians are now identifying dissociative symptoms in abused children, and there is increasing evidence that dissociative disorders represent a significant and hitherto unrecognized form of psychopathology in traumatized children. Pathological dissociation is a complex psychobiological process that results in a failure to integrate information into the normal stream of consciousness. It produces a range of symptoms and behaviors including: (a) amnesias; (b) disturbances in sense of self; (c) trance-like states; (d) rapid shifts in mood and behavior; (e) perplexing shifts in access to knowledge, memory, and skills; (f) auditory and visual hallucinations; and (g) vivid imaginary companionship in children and adolescents. Many of these symptoms and behaviors are misdiagnosed as attention, learning or conduct problems, or even psychoses. Early identification and therapeutic intervention appear to be particularly efficacious in children in contrast to adults, although systematic studies of treatment and outcome are presently lacking.

Child↗

Dissociative disorders in Dutch psychiatric inpatients.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to determine the frequency of dissociative disorders in Dutch psychiatric inpatients. METHOD: During a period of 12 months, 122 consecutively admitted adult psychiatric patients were screened with the Dissociative Experiences Scale. Patients scoring 25 and higher and a random selection of patients scoring lower than 25 were blindly interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders, Revised. Interviews were scored independently by a blind rater. RESULTS: Ten (8%) of the 122 patients were diagnosed as having a dissociative disorder; two (2%) were diagnosed as having a dissociative identity disorder. Two patients (2%) had factitious dissociative identity disorder. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of dissociative disorders in this group of Dutch patients is comparable to the rates reported in other European studies but lower than rates reported in North American studies.

Adult↗

Dissociative disorders in psychiatric inpatients.

OBJECTIVE: This study attempted to determine 1) the prevalence of dissociative disorders in psychiatric inpatients, 2) the degree of reported childhood trauma in patients with dissociative disorders, and 3) the degree to which dissociative experiences are recognized in psychiatric patients. METHOD: A total of 110 patients consecutively admitted to a state psychiatric hospital were given the Dissociative Experiences Scale. Patients who scored above 25 were matched for age and gender with a group of patients who scored below 5 on the scale. All patients in the two groups were then interviewed in a blind manner, and the Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule, the Traumatic Antecedent Questionnaire, and the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) module of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R, Nonpatient Version, were administered. Chart reviews were also conducted on all patients. RESULTS: Fifteen percent of the psychiatric patients scored above 25 on the Dissociative Experiences Scale; 100% of these patients met DSM-III criteria for a dissociative disorder. These patients had significantly higher rates of major depression, PTSD, substance abuse, and borderline personality than did the comparison patients, and they also reported significantly higher rates of childhood trauma. Chart review data revealed that dissociative symptoms were largely unrecognized. CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of psychiatric inpatients have significant dissociative pathology, and these symptoms are underrecognized by clinicians. The proper diagnosis of these patients has important implications for their clinical course.

Adolescent↗

Frequency of dissociative disorders among psychiatric outpatients in Turkey.

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of dissociative disorders among psychiatric outpatients in Turkey. One hundred fifty consecutive outpatients admitted to the psychiatry clinic of a university hospital were screened with the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). Twenty-three patients (15.3%) with a DES score greater than 30 and a comparison group selected from the same outpatient population who scored less than 10 on the scale were then interviewed with the Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule (DDIS) in a blind fashion. According to the DDIS, 18 patients (12.0%) received a diagnosis of dissociative disorder; 83.3% (n = 15) of the dissociative patients reported neglect, 72.2% (n = 13) emotional abuse, 50.0% (n = 9) physical abuse, and 27.8% (n = 5) sexual abuse during childhood. Dissociative disorders are not rare among psychiatric outpatients. Self-rating instruments and structured interviews can be used successfully for screening dissociative disorders, which are usually underrecognized. Neglect was the most frequently reported type of childhood trauma, suggesting the importance of other childhood experiences in addition to sexual and/or physical abuse in the development of dissociative psychopathology.

Adolescent↗

Prevalence of dissociative disorders in psychiatric in-patients: the impact of study characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: Prevalence rates for dissociative disorders among psychiatric in-patients vary widely. The aim of this meta-analysis is to offer an explanation for these differences. METHOD: Prevalence studies using a clinical diagnostic interview among psychiatric in-patients were included. Hypotheses concerning the impact of blind versus not blind designs, choice of diagnostic instrument and continental background were tested. RESULTS: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. In blind studies the prevalence rate for dissociative disorders was significantly lower (but not for DID). Studies using the SCID-D (compared to the DDIS) and European studies had significantly lower prevalence rates for both dissociative disorders as well as for DID. CONCLUSION: The choice of diagnostic instrument and cultural differences in interpretation of symptoms are major explanations for differences in prevalence of dissociative disorders and DID. Comparative, blind research using both DDIS and SCID-D in the assessment of dissociative disorders is advised.

Cultural Characteristics↗

Serum lipid levels in patients with dissociative disorder.

OBJECTIVE: There may be an association between a low serum cholesterol level and dissociative disorders. METHOD: The subjects of the study were 16 patients with dissociative disorder and 16 normal comparison subjects (two men and 14 women in each group). Total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and very low density lipoprotein levels were compared. RESULTS: Patients with dissociative disorders had lower serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and very low density lipoprotein levels than normal comparison subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Low serum lipid concentrations may be related to a high incidence of self-injurious behaviors and borderline features in patients with dissociative disorders.

Adolescent↗

Dissociative disorders and traumatic childhood experiences in transsexuals.

In this first prevalence study of dissociative symptoms and different forms of childhood experiences among transsexuals, 41 transsexuals and 115 psychiatric inpatients were compared by means of the Interview for Dissociative Disorders (SCID-D-R), the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). The total score for the dissociative symptoms revealed no significant differences between the transsexuals and the psychiatric inpatients. However, the higher DES score among transsexuals compared with a normal population was found to be due largely to one item. A surprisingly high prevalence of emotional maltreatment was recorded. The results suggest that both the DES and the SCID-D-R have limited validity as instruments for screening and diagnosing dissociative disorders in transsexuals. Psychiatrists should be mindful of the possible existence of dissociative disorders in transsexual patients. Further investigations are needed to clarify the effects of traumatic childhood experiences on sexual identity in transsexuals and to throw more light on the phenomenological correlation between transsexualism and dissociative identity, using taxometric analyses.

Adult↗

[Based on one case of dissociative disorder: a conceptual review].

Based on the description of a clinical case treated by the authors, and diagnosed of dissociative disorder, a review of the diagnosis of dissociative disorder and its polemics is carried out. The authors discuss concepts such as dissociation and hysteria, their historic evolution and their relationships. Some modern cognitive theories on dissociative disorders and their relationship or opposition to psychodynamic theories are presented. The differences between dissociation and repression with these two different approaches are also mentioned. The authors conclude that at the present time important questions must be solved in the area of dissociative disorders in order to progress in the psychiatric knowledge of dissociative processes.

Adult↗

Detection of dissociative disorders in psychiatric patients by a screening instrument and a structured diagnostic interview.

OBJECTIVE AND METHOD: Diagnosis and treatment of the dissociative disorders may be delayed for many years because of difficulties in detecting patients at high risk for dissociative disorders. This study investigates the utility of the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), a self-report instrument for dissociative experiences, in detecting patients at high risk for dissociative disorders. The clinician-administered Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Dissociative Disorders (SCID-D) was used as the diagnostic standard, and 36 outpatients with mixed diagnoses and nine normal subjects were evaluated for the presence and absence of a dissociative disorder. DES scores were then compared. RESULTS: Results indicate that a DES cutoff score of 15-20 yields good to excellent sensitivity and specificity as a screening instrument. However, for higher cutoff points the sensitivity can be much lower. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, although the DES can be used to identify some high-risk patients, they should be further evaluated with such diagnostic instruments as the SCID-D or by in-depth clinical follow-up.

Adult↗