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In a review of the literature in this journal, Piedfort-Marin et al. (1921) identified what they purported to be myths about dissociative identity disorder (DID) and dissociative amnesia. When responding to these beliefs, they supported the Trauma Model of dissociation and argued for a causal etiological link between trauma and dissociative conditions. In contrast, they challenged the Sociocognitive Model (SCM), which they claimed rejects the existence of DID and associated disorders (e.g., dissociative amnesia) and considers symptoms to be the byproduct of fantasy, suggestion, and the iatrogenic effect of psychotherapies. In this article, we critically evaluate the authors' arguments and propose a more balanced, accurate, and comprehensive view of the sociocognitive model. We demonstrate that this model neither rejects the existence of DID, nor a link between trauma and dissociation potentially mediated by a variety of cognitive-affective-behavioral variables. We argue, contrary to Piedfort-Marin et al., that the tendency to confabulate and other cognitive and sociocultural variables may also contribute to the development of DID. We contend that a multifactorial integrative etiological perspective can move the field beyond a limited focus on controversies that divide the TM and SCM models of dissociation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissociative amnesia is characterized by an inability to retrieve information already saved in memories. 5-HT has some role in neural regulatory control and may be related to the recovery from dissociative amnesia. To examine the role of 5-HT 1A receptors in the recovery from dissociative amnesia, we performed two positron emission tomography (PET) scans on a 30-year-old patient of dissociative amnesia using [ 11 C]WAY-100635, the first at amnesic state, and the second at the time he had recovered. Exploratory voxel-based analysis (VBA) was performed using SPM software. 5-HT 1A BP ND images were compared between the patient at amnesic and recovery states and healthy subjects (14 males, mean age 29.8±6.45) with Jack-knife analysis. 5-HT 1A receptor bindings of the patient at the recovery state were significantly higher than those of healthy subjects in the right superior and middle frontal cortex, left inferior frontal and orbitofrontal cortex and bilateral inferior temporal cortex. The increase in BP ND values of recovery state was beyond 10% of those of amnesia state in these regions except in the right superior frontal cortex. We considered that neural regulatory control by the increase of 5-HT 1A receptors in cortical regions played a role in the recovery from dissociative amnesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Background Precipitated by psychological stress, dissociative amnesia occurs in the absence of identifiable brain damage. Its clinical characteristics and functional neural basis are still a matter of controversy. Methods In the present paper, we report 3 cases of retrograde autobiographical amnesia, characterized by an acute onset concomitant with emotional/neurological precipitants. We present 2 cases of dissociative amnesia with fugue (cases 1 and 2), and one case of focal dissociative amnesia after a minor head trauma (case 3). The individual case histories and neuropsychological characteristics are reported, as well as the whole-brain voxel-based 18FDG-PET metabolic findings obtained at group-level in comparison to 15 healthy subjects. Results All patients suffered from autobiographical memory loss, in the absence of structural lesion. They had no significant impairment of anterograde memory or of executive function. Impairment of autobiographical memory was complete for two of the three patients, with loss of personal identity (cases 1 and 2). A clinical recovery was found for the two patients in whom follow-up was available (cases 2 and 3). Voxel-based group analysis highlighted a metabolic impairment of the right posterior middle temporal gyrus. 18FDG-PET was repeated in case 3, and showed a complete functional brain recovery. Conclusion The situation of dissociative amnesia with disproportionate retrograde amnesia is clinically heterogeneous between individuals. Our findings may suggest that impairment of high-level integration of visual and/or emotional information processing involving dysfunction of the right posterior middle temporal gyrus could reduce triggering of multi-modal visual memory traces, thus impeding reactivation of aversive memories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Present neuroimaging findings suggest two subtypes of trauma response, one characterized predominantly by hyperarousal and intrusions, and the other primarily by dissociative symptoms. The neural underpinnings of these two subtypes need to be better defined. Fourteen women with childhood abuse and the current diagnosis of dissociative amnesia or dissociative identity disorder but without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 14 matched healthy comparison subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while finding their way in a virtual maze. The virtual maze presented a first-person view (egocentric), lacked any topographical landmarks and could be learned only by using egocentric navigation strategies. Participants with dissociative disorders (DD) were not impaired in learning the virtual maze when compared with controls, and showed a similar, although weaker, pattern of activity changes during egocentric learning when compared with controls. Stronger dissociative disorder severity of participants with DD was related to better virtual maze performance, and to stronger activity increase within the cingulate gyrus and the precuneus. Our results add to the present knowledge of preserved attentional and visuospatial mnemonic functioning in individuals with DD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: About two cases of retrograde amnesia with a total loss of episodic memory several years of life, we describe a singular transfer in the past; we discuss the nosography of functional or dissociative amnesia, the nature of the blockage of retrieval processes and the occurrence of very precise memories which project the patient some years before in his past. This phenomenon has been described in transient global amnesia, especially in those occurring after a small head trauma during sport. It may also occur in dissociative amnesia; these data lead to question the classical dichotomy between organic and functional amnesias. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In dissociative amnesia (DSM-IV), also referred to as psychogenic amnesia (DSM-III), the main disturbance consists of inability to recall personal information. Identity amnesia is observed in most cases. Dissociative disorder can sometimes be explained as a coping defensive strategy in subjects confronting a stressful situation recalling a situation that occurred during childhood (case JJ). Time of lacunar amnesia in these cases can be a psychopathologic cue. Recovery is possible and can be spectacular. Contextual cue (action, place, emotion) can induce recovery of similar scenes (or all recalls) of lost time, with autonoetic awareness and sometimes even instances of ecmnesia (case FF). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Neonaticide and pregnancy denial concepts have to be more precisely defined. These concepts do not give us any information about the psychical status of mothers during their acting-out. The history of court sentences, showing a wide disparity ranging from acquittal to life sentences reflects the difficulties in analysis of these concepts. This case study reports on the psychic state of a young woman at the time of her committal of neonaticide, after she had denied her pregnancy. The report discusses the hypotheses of brief psychotic trouble, dissociative trouble or acute stress state during her heteroaggressive act. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Psychogenic fugue is a disorder of memory that occurs following emotional or psychological trauma and results in a loss of one’s personal past including personal identity. This paper reports a case of psychogenic fugue in which the individual lost access not only to his autobiographical memories but also to his native German language. A series of experiments compared his performance on a variety of memory and language tests to several groups of control participants including German–English bilinguals who performed the tasks normally or simulated amnesia for the German language. Neuropsychological, behavioral, electrophysiological and functional neuroimaging tests converged on the conclusion that this individual suffered an episode of psychogenic fugue, during which he lost explicit knowledge of his personal past and his native language. At the same time, he appeared to retain implicit knowledge of autobiographical facts and of the semantic or associative structure of the German language. The patient’s poor performance on tests of executive control and reduced activation of frontal compared to parietal brain regions during lexical decision were suggestive of reduced frontal function, consistent with models of psychogenic fugue proposed by Kopelman [The Handbook of Memory Disorders, 2nd ed., Wiley, Chichester, 2002, p. 451] and Markowitsch [Memory, Consciousness, and the Brain, Psychology Press, Philadelphia, 2000, p. 319]. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The current study explored characteristics of psychiatric prison inmates who claim amnesia for their crimes. More specifically, we examined differences in intelligence, psychopathology, executive functions, and malingering tendencies between psychiatric prison inmates who claimed amnesia (n=17) and those who did not (n=45). Findings indicate that lowered levels of intelligence and relatively poor performance on executive (i.e. frontal lobe) tasks accompany claims of amnesia. As well, those who claimed amnesia displayed heightened scores on an instrument intending to measure malingering. This pattern supports the view that such claims must be treated with scepticism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective. – The link between dissociative experiences and psychical health is not systematic, these experiences have been encountered into general population with many degrees. The authors have studied stern dissociative experiences in a french student sample (subjects which DES. score is over psychiatric level).Method. – Authors used the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES.) in french version. After extraction of high scores (psychiatric level) from a group made of students, distribution of the components of DES (Imaginative involvement, Depersonalization–derealization, Dissociative amnesia) is studied in order to understand the nature of severe dissociative experiences in this group (34 subjects aged 18 to 25 years).Results. – Results show that Depersonalization-Derealization component appears as a good clinical indication of psychic suffering, comparatively to other dissociative disorders (particularely dissociative amnesia). DES composant ”Imaginative involvement” does not appear to be specific of dissociative disorder.Conclusion. – A reflection is suggested, in the point of view of psychopathology, about the status of depersonalization disorder: is it specific of dissociative disorders or is it an expression of various forms of psychopathology. The psychopathological register of depersonalization disorder is being debated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Transient left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome (TLVABS), also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, is characterized by transient left ventricular dysfunction, electrocardiographic changes, and release of myocardial enzymes that mimic acute myocardial infarction in patients without angiographic evidence of coronary artery disease. Most patients are post-menopausal women and an emotional or physiologic stressor frequently precedes the presentation. Psychogenic or dissociative amnesia is a memory disorder characterized by sudden retrograde memory loss with inability to recall personal information said to occur for a period of time ranging from hours to years after a stressful event. Interestingly, the mechanism of both disorders has been linked to plasma elevation in catecholamines. Here we present the case of a 66-year-old female diagnosed with both TLVABS and dissociative amnesia following the sudden unexpected death of her sister. To our knowledge, this is surprisingly the first report of the co-occurrence of TLVABS and dissociative amnesia, two processes with a potential shared underlying etiology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Acute amnestic syndromes are usually rare clinical events occurring in emergency situations. Etiological diagnosis can be challenging and underlying causes diverse. They can be transient and totally reversible, or accompanied by other neurological symptoms resulting in serious and irreversible brain damage. Pathophysiology of these syndromes mainly corresponds to structural or functional alteration of memory circuits, including those in the hippocampus. One of the most frequent forms is transient global amnesia (TGA), characterized by sudden onset of anterograde amnesia lasting less than 24 hours, in the absence of other neurological signs or symptoms. Another acute and transient memory disorder is transient epileptic amnesia (TEA), due to focal crisis activity. Stroke injuries occurring at strategic memory-related sites can also present as sudden episodes of amnesia. In addition to neurological etiologies, amnesia may be a symptom of a psychiatric disorder (dissociative amnesia). Traumatic brain injuries, autoimmune encephalitis and acute toxic metabolic disorders can also cause amnesia and should be included among the differential diagnoses. In this review, we summarize the most relevant clinical findings in acute amnestic syndromes, and discuss the different ancillary tests needed to establish a correct diagnosis and management as well the best treatment options. Relevant anatomical and pathophysiological aspects underlying these conditions will be also be presented. • Acute amnesic syndromes predominantly cause anterograde amnesia. • Transient global amnesia has a sudden onset and lasts less than 24 h. • Transient epileptic amnesia manifest as short-lasting and high-frequency amnesic attacks. • Stroke that affect the hippocampus can manifest as isolated acute amnesic syndromes. • Dissociative amnesia is characterized by retrograde amnesia with loss of personal identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We report the case of a 20-year-old Japanese woman with no psychiatric history with apparent dissociative symptoms. These consisted of amnesia for episodes of shoplifting behaviors and a suicide attempt, developing together with an exacerbation of Graves' hyperthyroidism. Patients with Graves' disease frequently manifest various psychiatric disorders; however, very few reports have described dissociative disorder due to this disease. Along with other possible causes, for example, encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroid disease, clinicians should be aware of this possibility. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]