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A recent study on individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) suggests that dissociation may not stem from excessive emotional suppression, as previously thought. The study, published in Psychopharmacology , explored how ketamine—a drug known to induce dissociative symptoms—affects brain connectivity between regions involved in emotion processing.
Surprisingly, administering ketamine did not increase resting-state functional connectivity between the amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a brain region central to regulating emotional responses. This finding challenges the assumption that dissociation arises from heightened emotional control (emotion overmodulation) and suggests that alternative mechanisms may be involved.
Dissociation is a psychological state in which a person experiences a disconnection from their thoughts, feelings, memories, or sense of identity. It is believed to act as a defense mechanism in response to trauma or overwhelming stress, allowing the mind to separate from painful experiences.
Common forms of dissociation include depersonalization (feeling detached from one’s body) and derealization (feeling detached from one’s surroundings). In severe cases, dissociation can lead to memory gaps or a fragmented sense of self. Many individuals with dissociation report feeling numb, out of touch, or as if they’re watching themselves from a distance.
In recent decades, scientists have discovered that ketamine, a drug primarily used as an anesthetic, can also produce dissociative symptoms at lower doses. Dissociative symptoms induced by ketamine are similar to those experienced by individuals with mental health disorders such as PTSD.
PTSD is usually characterized by emotion undermodulation (difficulty controlling emotions), which is associated with specific brain activity patterns. However, PTSD with dissociative symptoms is characterized by emotion overmodulation—excessive suppression or control over one’s emotions. Brains of individuals with emotion overmodulation show a resting pattern of neural activity marked by increased functional connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex (a region responsible for decision-making and emotional regulation) and the amygdala (a region involved in processing emotions).
Study author Sarah K. Danböck and her colleagues wanted to examine the effects of ketamine on resting-state functional connectivity between the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex in individuals with PTSD. They sought to determine […]
Ketamine study unearths surprising insights into PTSD, emotion regulation, and dissociation
