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Branchadell V, Poy R, Segarra P, Ribes-Guardiola P, Moltó J. Low defensive cardiac reactivity as a physiological correlate of psychopathic fearlessness: Gender differences. Biol Psychol 2023; 181:108617. [PMID: 37327985 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Affective/interpersonal features of psychopathy have been consistently associated with diverse psychophysiological indicators of low threat sensitivity, suggesting an underlying deficit in the reactivity of the brain's defensive motivational system. This study examined the Cardiac Defense Response (CDR) -a complex pattern of heart rate changes in response to an aversive, intense, and unexpected stimulus- and its second accelerative component (A2), as a new physiological indicator of the fearlessness trait component of psychopathy. The differential contribution of dispositional fearlessness, externalizing proneness, and coldheartedness to the CDR pattern elicited during a defense psychophysiological test was examined in a mixed-gender sample of 156 undergraduates (62% women) assessed by the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R). Higher PPI-R Fearless Dominance scores were related to lower heart rate changes throughout the CDR in women, but not in men. Further analyses on scales conforming the fearless dominance factor revealed that the hypothesized reduced A2 was specifically related to higher PPI-R Fearlessness scores only in women. Our findings provide initial evidence for the utility of the A2 to better understand the physiological aspects of fearlessness tendencies and its potential distinct manifestations across genders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Branchadell
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain.
| | - Rosario Poy
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
| | - Pilar Segarra
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
| | - Pablo Ribes-Guardiola
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
| | - Javier Moltó
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain.
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2
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Kecala NM, Goodman BF, Griffin MG. Dissociation as a Distinct Peritraumatic Coping Response: A Preliminary Analysis. J Trauma Dissociation 2023; 24:79-94. [PMID: 36062727 DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2022.2117262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Research examining physiological responses to trauma cues in PTSD has identified a subset of "nonresponders" showing suppressed physiological reactivity. The defense cascade model posits that individuals respond to stressors by progressing through a series of defensive reactions, with nonresponders having advanced to a shutdown response. It remains unclear whether dissociation is at the end of a continuum of passive behavior, indicating full shutdown, or if it comprises a distinct response. The present study aimed to address this uncertainty, using EFA to compare a two-factor (active, passive) and three-factor (active, passive, dissociative) model of defensive responding. Eighty-nine female physical and sexual assault survivors reported their peritraumatic reactions within 1 month of their assault, which were entered into the EFA. The three-factor model was superior, suggesting dissociation is a distinct category of peritraumatic coping. Peritraumatic use of both passive and dissociative coping strategies were each significantly associated with ongoing use of passive coping and increased PTSD symptoms 1-month posttrauma; surprisingly, the use of passive peritraumatic coping strategies was a better indicator than peritraumatic dissociation. The inclusion of depression as a covariate removed the association of passive (but not dissociative) coping with PTSD symptom severity. Active coping use was not significantly associated with any outcome, suggesting that the presence of shutdown responses is more informative than the presence or absence of any active coping. These findings highlight the importance of differentiating peritraumatic coping responses and the need for increased attention to the comparatively neglected topic of passive coping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia M Kecala
- Center for Trauma Recovery, University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL), Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Brittany F Goodman
- Center for Trauma Recovery, University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL), Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Michael G Griffin
- Center for Trauma Recovery, University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL), Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
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3
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Beutler S, Mertens YL, Ladner L, Schellong J, Croy I, Daniels JK. Trauma-related dissociation and the autonomic nervous system: a systematic literature review of psychophysiological correlates of dissociative experiencing in PTSD patients. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2022; 13:2132599. [PMID: 36340007 PMCID: PMC9635467 DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2022.2132599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Neurophysiological models link dissociation (e.g. feeling detached during or after a traumatic event) to hypoarousal. It is currently assumed that the initial passive reaction to a threat may coincide with a blunted autonomic response, which constitutes the dissociative subtype of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Objective: Within this systematic review we summarize research which evaluates autonomic nervous system activation (e.g. heart rate, blood pressure) and dissociation in PTSD patients to discern the validity of current neurophysiological models of trauma-related hypoarousal. Method: Of 553 screened articles, 28 studies (N = 1300 subjects) investigating the physiological response to stress provocation or trauma-related interventions were included in the final analysis. Results: No clear trend exists across all measured physiological markers in trauma-related dissociation. Extracted results are inconsistent, in part due to high heterogeneity in experimental methodology. Conclusion: The current review is unable to provide robust evidence that peri- and post-traumatic dissociation are associated with hypoarousal, questioning the validity of distinct psychophysiological profiles in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Beutler
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Yoki L Mertens
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Liliana Ladner
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Julia Schellong
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ilona Croy
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Clinical Psychology, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Judith K Daniels
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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4
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Otero J, Muñoz MA, Fernández-Santaella MC, Verdejo-García A, Sánchez-Barrera MB. Cardiac defense reactivity and cognitive flexibility in high- and low-resilience women. Psychophysiology 2020; 57:e13656. [PMID: 32748997 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Resilience is a protective health variable that contributes to successful adaptation to stressful experiences. However, in spite of its relevance, few studies have examined the psychophysiological and neuropsychological mechanisms involved in resilience. The present study analyzes, in a sample of 54 young women, the relationships between high- and low-resilience, measured with the Spanish versions of Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale questionnaire and the Resilience Scale, and two indices of psychophysiological and neuropsychological adaptability, the cardiac defense response (CDR) and cognitive flexibility. The CDR is a specific reaction to an unexpected intense noise characterized by two acceleration-deceleration heart rate components. Cognitive flexibility, defined as the ability to adapt our behavior to changing environmental demands, is measured in this study with the CAMBIOS neuropsychological test. The results showed that the more resilient people, in addition to having better scores on mental health questionnaires, had a larger initial acceleration-deceleration of the CDR-indicative of greater vagal control, obtained better scores in cognitive flexibility, and evaluated the intense noise as less unpleasant than the less resilient people. No group differences were found in the second acceleration-deceleration of the CDR-indicative of sympathetic cardiac control, in the skin conductance response, or in subjective intensity of the noise. The present findings broaden the understanding of how resilient people change their adaptable responses to address environmental demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Otero
- Brain, Mind and Behaviour Research Center, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Miguel A Muñoz
- Brain, Mind and Behaviour Research Center, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | | | - Antonio Verdejo-García
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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5
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Garrido A, Duschek S, Rodríguez Árbol J, González Usera I, Vila J, Mata JL. Sympathetic contributions to habituation and recovery of the cardiac defense response. Biol Psychol 2020; 151:107846. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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6
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Terpou BA, Harricharan S, McKinnon MC, Frewen P, Jetly R, Lanius RA. The effects of trauma on brain and body: A unifying role for the midbrain periaqueductal gray. J Neurosci Res 2019; 97:1110-1140. [PMID: 31254294 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a diagnosis that may follow the experience of trauma, has multiple symptomatic phenotypes. Generally, individuals with PTSD display symptoms of hyperarousal and of hyperemotionality in the presence of fearful stimuli. A subset of individuals with PTSD; however, elicit dissociative symptomatology (i.e., depersonalization, derealization) in the wake of a perceived threat. This pattern of response characterizes the dissociative subtype of the disorder, which is often associated with emotional numbing and hypoarousal. Both symptomatic phenotypes exhibit attentional threat biases, where threat stimuli are processed preferentially leading to a hypervigilant state that is thought to promote defensive behaviors during threat processing. Accordingly, PTSD and its dissociative subtype are thought to differ in their proclivity to elicit active (i.e., fight, flight) versus passive (i.e., tonic immobility, emotional shutdown) defensive responses, which are characterized by the increased and the decreased expression of the sympathetic nervous system, respectively. Moreover, active and passive defenses are accompanied by primarily endocannabinoid- and opioid-mediated analgesics, respectively. Through critical review of the literature, we apply the defense cascade model to better understand the pathological presentation of defensive responses in PTSD with a focus on the functioning of lower-level midbrain and extended brainstem systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braeden A Terpou
- Department of Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Margaret C McKinnon
- Mood Disorders Program, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul Frewen
- Department of Psychology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rakesh Jetly
- Canadian Forces, Health Services, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Ruth A Lanius
- Department of Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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7
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Norte CE, Volchan E, Vila J, Mata JL, Arbol JR, Mendlowicz M, Berger W, Luz MP, Rocha-Rego V, Figueira I, de Souza GGL. Tonic Immobility in PTSD: Exacerbation of Emotional Cardiac Defense Response. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1213. [PMID: 31178810 PMCID: PMC6543833 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Among defensive behaviors, tonic immobility (TI) is considered the last defensive resort when life is at extreme risk. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the main psychiatric consequence resulting from exposure to traumatic events. Increasing evidence indicate an association between peritraumatic tonic immobilility and severity of PTSD. Cardiac defense response, a reactivity to perceived danger or threat, has been studied by recording heart rate changes that follows the presentation of an unpredictable intense auditory aversive stimulus. The aim of this study was to investigate potential distinctiveness in cardiac defense response among PTSD patients who presented – compared to those that did not – TI reaction in the laboratory setting. Patients (N = 17) completed the TI questionnaire for signs of immobility elicited by passive listening to their autobiographical trauma script. After a while, they were exposed to an intense white noise, while electrocardiogram was recorded. The heart rate during the 80 s after the noise, subtracted from baseline, was analyzed. Higher reports of TI to the trauma script were associated with stronger and sustained heart rate accelerations after the noise. The effects on cardiac defense response add to increasing evidence that some PTSD patients are prone to repeated re-experiences of TI, which may implicate in a potentially distinct pathophysiology and even a new PTSD subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Eduardo Norte
- Institute of Psychology, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Eliane Volchan
- Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jaime Vila
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jose Luis Mata
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Javier R Arbol
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Mauro Mendlowicz
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
| | - William Berger
- Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mariana Pires Luz
- Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Rocha-Rego
- Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ivan Figueira
- Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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8
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Schalinski I, Moran JK, Elbert T, Reindl V, Wienbruch C. Oscillatory magnetic brain activity is related to dissociative symptoms and childhood adversities - A study in women with multiple trauma. J Affect Disord 2017; 218:428-436. [PMID: 28505586 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with trauma-related disorders are complex and heterogeneous; part of this complexity derives from additional psychopathology like dissociation as well as environmental adversities such as traumatic stress, experienced throughout the lifespan. Understanding the neurophysiological abnormalities in Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) requires a simultaneous consideration of these factors. METHODS Resting state magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings were obtained from 41 women with PTSD and comorbid depressive symptoms, and 16 healthy women. Oscillatory brain activity was extracted for five frequency bands and 11 source locations, and analyzed in relation to shutdown dissociation and adversity-related measures. RESULTS Dissociative symptoms were related to increased delta and lowered beta power. Adversity-related measures modulated theta and alpha oscillatory power (in particular childhood sexual abuse) and differed between patients and controls. LIMITATIONS Findings are based on women with comorbid depressive symptoms and therefore may not be applicable for men or groups with other clinical profiles. In respect to childhood adversities, we had no reliable source for the early infancy. CONCLUSION Trauma-related abnormalities in neural organization vary with both exposure to adversities as well as their potential to evoke ongoing shutdown responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Schalinski
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Germany.
| | - J K Moran
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Germany
| | - T Elbert
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Germany
| | - V Reindl
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Germany
| | - C Wienbruch
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Germany
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9
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Bichescu-Burian D, Steyer J, Steinert T, Grieb B, Tschöke S. Trauma-related dissociation: Psychological features and psychophysiological responses to script-driven imagery in borderline personality disorder. Psychophysiology 2016; 54:452-461. [DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dana Bichescu-Burian
- Center for Psychiatry Südwürttemberg, Weissenau; Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy I of the Ulm University; Ravensburg Germany
| | - Jürgen Steyer
- Center for Psychiatry Südwürttemberg, Weissenau; Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy I of the Ulm University; Ravensburg Germany
| | - Tilman Steinert
- Center for Psychiatry Südwürttemberg, Weissenau; Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy I of the Ulm University; Ravensburg Germany
| | - Benjamin Grieb
- Center for Psychiatry Südwürttemberg, Weissenau; Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy I of the Ulm University; Ravensburg Germany
| | - Stefan Tschöke
- Center for Psychiatry Südwürttemberg, Weissenau; Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy I of the Ulm University; Ravensburg Germany
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10
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López R, Poy R, Segarra P, Esteller À, Fonfría A, Ribes P, Ventura C, Moltó J. Gender-specific effects of trait anxiety on the cardiac defense response. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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11
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Type and timing of childhood maltreatment and severity of shutdown dissociation in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0127151. [PMID: 25992568 PMCID: PMC4438058 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Dissociation, particularly the shutting down of sensory, motor and speech systems, has been proposed to emerge in susceptible individuals as a defensive response to traumatic stress. In contrast, other individuals show signs of hyperarousal to acute threat. A key question is whether exposure to particular types of stressful events during specific stages of development can program an individual to have a strong dissociative response to subsequent stressors. Vulnerability to ongoing shutdown dissociation was assessed in 75 inpatients (46M/29F, M = 31±10 years old) with schizophrenia spectrum disorder and related to number of traumatic events experienced or witnessed during childhood or adulthood. The Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology of Exposure (MACE) scale was used to collect retrospective recall of exposure to ten types of maltreatment during each year of childhood. Severity of shutdown dissociation was related to number of childhood but not adult traumatic events. Random forest regression with conditional trees indicated that type and timing of childhood maltreatment could predictably account for 31% of the variance (p < 0.003) in shutdown dissociation, with peak vulnerability occurring at 13-14 years of age and with exposure to emotional neglect followed by various forms of emotional abuse. These findings suggest that there may be windows of vulnerability to the development of shutdown dissociation. Results support the hypothesis that experienced events are more important than witnessed events, but challenge the hypothesis that “life-threatening” events are a critical determinant.
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12
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Schalinski I, Schauer M, Elbert T. The shutdown dissociation scale (shut-d). Eur J Psychotraumatol 2015; 6:25652. [PMID: 25976478 PMCID: PMC4431999 DOI: 10.3402/ejpt.v6.25652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Revised: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary model of the defense cascade by Schauer and Elbert (2010) provides a theoretical frame for a short interview to assess problems underlying and leading to the dissociative subtype of posttraumatic stress disorder. Based on known characteristics of the defense stages "fright," "flag," and "faint," we designed a structured interview to assess the vulnerability for the respective types of dissociation. Most of the scales that assess dissociative phenomena are designed as self-report questionnaires. Their items are usually selected based on more heuristic considerations rather than a theoretical model and thus include anything from minor dissociative experiences to major pathological dissociation. The shutdown dissociation scale (Shut-D) was applied in several studies in patients with a history of multiple traumatic events and different disorders that have been shown previously to be prone to symptoms of dissociation. The goal of the present investigation was to obtain psychometric characteristics of the Shut-D (including factor structure, internal consistency, retest reliability, predictive, convergent and criterion-related concurrent validity). A total population of 225 patients and 68 healthy controls were accessed. Shut-D appears to have sufficient internal reliability, excellent retest reliability, high convergent validity, and satisfactory predictive validity, while the summed score of the scale reliably separates patients with exposure to trauma (in different diagnostic groups) from healthy controls. The Shut-D is a brief structured interview for assessing the vulnerability to dissociate as a consequence of exposure to traumatic stressors. The scale demonstrates high-quality psychometric properties and may be useful for researchers and clinicians in assessing shutdown dissociation as well as in predicting the risk of dissociative responding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Schalinski
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany;
| | - Maggie Schauer
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Thomas Elbert
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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13
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Schalinski I, Moran J, Schauer M, Elbert T. Rapid emotional processing in relation to trauma-related symptoms as revealed by magnetic source imaging. BMC Psychiatry 2014; 14:193. [PMID: 24997778 PMCID: PMC4100056 DOI: 10.1186/1471-244x-14-193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traumatic stress leads to functional reorganization in the brain and may trigger an alarm response. However, when the traumatic event produces severe helplessness, the predominant peri-traumatic response may instead be marked by a dissociative shutdown reaction. The neural correlates of this dissociative shutdown were investigated by presenting rapidly presented affective pictures to female participants with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and comparing responses to a Non-PTSD control group. METHODS Event-related-magnetic-fields were recorded during rapid visual serial presentation of emotionally arousing stimuli (unpleasant or pleasant), which alternated with pictures with low affective content (neutral). Neural sources, based on the L2-surface-minimum-norm, correlated with the severity of the symptom clusters: PTSD, depression and shutdown dissociation. RESULTS For the early cortical response (60 to 110 ms), dissociation and PTSD symptom severity show similar spatial distributions of correlates for unpleasant stimuli. Cortical networks that could be involved in the relationships seem to be widespread. CONCLUSION We conclude that shutdown dissociation, PTSD and depression all have distinct effects on early processing of emotional stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Schalinski
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, P,O, Box 905, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
| | - James Moran
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, P.O. Box 905, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Maggie Schauer
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, P.O. Box 905, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Thomas Elbert
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, P.O. Box 905, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
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14
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Polymorphism of Dopamine Transporter Gene DAT1 and Individual Variability of Defense Cardiac Response in Humans. Bull Exp Biol Med 2014; 156:845-8. [DOI: 10.1007/s10517-014-2466-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2012] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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15
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Isele D, Teicher MH, Ruf-Leuschner M, Elbert T, Kolassa IT, Schury K, Schauer M. KERF–Ein Instrument zur umfassenden Ermittlung belastender Kindheitserfahrungen. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR KLINISCHE PSYCHOLOGIE UND PSYCHOTHERAPIE 2014. [DOI: 10.1026/1616-3443/a000257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Hintergrund: Belastende Kindheitserfahrungen steigern das Risiko für Psychopathologie und beeinflussen die Erkrankungsschwere und den Behandlungserfolg. Validierte Instrumente zur umfangreichen Erfassung von Kindheitsbelastungen sind für die klinisch-psychologische Arbeit unabdingbar jedoch nur bedingt vorhanden. Fragestellung: Diese Arbeit stellt die Konstruktion und psychometrische Prüfung der Skala „Belastende Kindheitserfahrungen” (KERF), einem Instrument zur umfangreichen Erfassung von Kindheitsbelastungen vor. Die KERF beruht auf einer modifizierten Version des US-amerikanischen „Adversive Childhood Experiences” Index. Methode: Basierend auf den Daten von 165 Probandinnen wurden mit Rasch-Modellen zehn Subskalen modelliert. Korrelationen mit dem CTQ (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire) und Psychopathologie wurden bestimmt. Ergebnisse: Unterstützt durch konzeptuelle Überlegungen konnten zehn Subskalen gebildet werden. Wir fanden zufriedenstellende Assoziationen mit dem CTQ und Psychopathologie. Schlussfolgerungen: KERF ermöglicht eine detaillierte valide Erfassung belastender Kindheitserfahrungen.
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