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Cited by 78Psychosomatic Disorders and Their TreatmentsIdentity, Memory, and TherapyMemory Processes and Influences

Inter-identity autobiographical amnesia in patients with dissociative identity disorder

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Huntjens, Rafaële J. C., Verschuere, Bruno, McNally, Richard J.·2012·PLoS ONE
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0040580PMC PMC3399886
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: A major symptom of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID; formerly Multiple Personality Disorder) is dissociative amnesia, the inability to recall important personal information. Only two case studies have directly addressed autobiographical memory in DID. Both provided evidence suggestive of dissociative amnesia. The aim of the current study was to objectively assess transfer of autobiographical information between identities in a larger sample of DID patients. METHODS: Using a concealed information task, we assessed recognition of autobiographical details in an amnesic identity. Eleven DID patients, 27 normal controls, and 23 controls simulating DID participated. Controls and simulators were matched to patients on age, education level, and type of autobiographical memory tested. FINDINGS: Although patients subjectively reported amnesia for the autobiographical details included in the task, the results indicated transfer of information between identities. CONCLUSION: The results call for a revision of the DID definition. The amnesia criterion should be modified to emphasize its subjective nature.

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  • Perceived shifts between identities in people with DID are understood as shifts between modes, and compartmentalization is not assumed.

    “Thirdly, perceived shifts between identities in people with DID are understood as shifts between modes (temporary states of mind) and compartmentalization is not assumed (19).”

    From Schema therapy for Dissociative Identity Disorder: a case report (2023) · cites this paper as [19]

    The Discussion (page not supplied) reports memory transfer across identities and says the findings are inconsistent with separate memory systems divided by impermeable amnesic barriers. That supports not assuming compartmentalized memory, but the paper does not characterize identity shifts as shifts between modes or temporary states of mind. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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  • Other studies report a transfer of information between identity states for explicit verbal memory, implicit procedural memory, and recognition memory.

    “other studies report a transfer of information between identity states, for both explicit verbal memory (Huntjens et al., 2007) and implicit procedural (Huntjens et al., 2005a) and recognition memory (Huntjens et al., 2012) assessments.”

    From A review of the relation between dissociation, memory, executive functioning and social cognition in military members and civilians with neuropsychiatric conditions (2016) · cites this paper as Huntjens et al., 2012

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1 of the 51 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [22]McNally RJ 2003 Remembering Trauma. Cambridge, MA:Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. 448 p
  2. [25]Steinberg MMD 1994 Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders (SCID-D). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press. 96 p

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Authors
Huntjens, R. J. C., Verschuere, B., & McNally, R. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Groningen (NL)
  • Harvard University (US)
Corresponding author
Huntjens, Rafaële J. C.
ORCID
Venue
PLoS ONE
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Published
2012-07-18
Volume
7
Issue
7
Pages
e40580
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0040580
PMC
PMC3399886
OpenAlex
W2137287340
Cited by
76
References
51
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 1
FWCI
4.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (451-05-018)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
Keywords
dissociative identity disorder, dissociative amnesia, autobiographical memory
MeSH terms
Adult, Amnesia, Female, Humans, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Neuropsychological Tests, Reaction Time, Memory, Episodic

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