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Memories of attachment hamper EEG cortical connectivity in dissociative patients

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Abstract

In this study, we evaluated cortical connectivity modifications by electroencephalography (EEG) lagged coherence analysis, in subjects with dissociative disorders and in controls, after retrieval of attachment memories. We asked thirteen patients with dissociative disorders and thirteen age- and sex-matched healthy controls to retrieve personal attachment-related autobiographical memories through adult attachment interviews (AAI). EEG was recorded in the closed eyes resting state before and after the AAI. EEG lagged coherence before and after AAI was compared in all subjects. In the control group, memories of attachment promoted a widespread increase in EEG connectivity, in particular in the high-frequency EEG bands. Compared to controls, dissociative patients did not show an increase in EEG connectivity after the AAI. Conclusions: These results shed light on the neurophysiology of the disintegrative effect of retrieval of traumatic attachment memories in dissociative patients.

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Notes

  1. AMS has been trained at the AAI Training Institute of Rome, 1990, by M. Main and E. Hesse; CT has been trained at the AAI Training Institute of Rome, 2008, and CMV at the AAI Training Institute of Rome, 2010, by D. Jacobvitz and N. Dazzi.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Ellert Nijenhuis, Vedat Sar and Mary Main for their insightful comments and suggestions that improved this work. No financial support was received for this study and neither conflict of interests involves any author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Sciences, European University of Rome, Via Fleming 101c, Rome, Italy

    Benedetto Farina & Riccardo Brunetti

  2. Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

    Anna Maria Speranza, Cristina Trentini & Carola Maggiora Vergano

  3. Department of Neurosciences, Catholic University, Rome, Italy

    Serena Dittoni, Valentina Gnoni, Elisa Testani & Giacomo Della Marca

  4. Cognitive Psychology Association, Rome, Italy

    Giovanni Liotti

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  1. Benedetto Farina
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  2. Anna Maria Speranza
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Correspondence to Benedetto Farina.

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Farina, B., Speranza, A.M., Dittoni, S. et al. Memories of attachment hamper EEG cortical connectivity in dissociative patients. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 264, 449–458 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-013-0461-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-013-0461-9

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