Brain Networks In Depersonalization/Derealization
Dysfunctional large-scale brain networks in drug-naïve depersonalization-derealization disorder patients.
Sisi Zheng, Mingkang Song, Nan Song, Hong Zhu, Xue Li, Dongqing Yin, Shanshan Liu, Yan Zhao, Meng Fang, Yanzhe Ning, Hongxiao Jia.
January 2025
Summary:
This brain scan study looked at how different parts of the brain connect and communicate in individuals with Depersonalization-Derealization disorder (DDD). The study found that connections between brain areas were weaker in people with DDD, specifically in large-scale networks like the default mode network, the frontoparietal network, and the somatosensory-motor network. These weaker connections were so distinctive that researchers could correctly identify who had DDD 80% of the time just by looking at their brain scans. Also, the more detached from themselves someone felt, the weaker the connections were in the somatosensory-motor network, a part of the brain related to senses and movement.
This study suggests that disrupted functional connectivity within and between large-scale brain networks is associated with DDD and may serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target.