Dissociative responses to conscious and non-conscious fear impact underlying brain function in post-traumatic stress disorder

• Published in: Psychological medicine Vol. 38; no. 12; pp. 1771 - 1780
• Main Authors: Felmingham, K., Kemp, A. H., Williams, L., Falconer, E., Olivieri, G., Peduto, A., Bryant, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.12.2008
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Arousal; Biological and medical sciences; Borderline personality disorder; Brain - physiopathology; Consciousness; Dissociation; Dissociative Disorders - epidemiology; Dissociative Disorders - physiopathology; Facial Expression; Fear; Female; fMRI; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; non-conscious; Post traumatic stress disorder; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Prefrontal Cortex - physiopathology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; PTSD; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - physiopathology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Threats; Trauma; Visual Perception; PTSD; fMRI; Dissociation; fear; non-conscious; Human; Affect affectivity; Dissociative disorder; Central nervous system; Anxiety disorder; Emotion emotionality; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Prefrontal cortex; Experimental study; Metabolism; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Stress; Encephalon; Fear; Consciousness unconsciousness; Functional imaging

Dissociative reactions in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been regarded as strategic responses that limit arousal. Neuroimaging studies suggest distinct prefrontal responses in individuals displaying dissociative and hyperarousal responses to threat in PTSD. Increased prefrontal activity...