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    Rights statement: This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Consciousness and Cognition. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Consciousness and Cognition, 63, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2018.06.008

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The depersonalized brain: New evidence supporting a distinction between depersonalization and derealization from discrete patterns of autonomic suppression observed in a non-clinical sample

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<mark>Journal publication date</mark>08/2018
<mark>Journal</mark>Consciousness and Cognition
Volume63
Number of pages18
Pages (from-to)29-46
Publication StatusPublished
Early online date18/06/18
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Depersonalization and Derealization are characterised by feelings of detachment from one’s bodily self/surroundings and a general emotional numbness. We explored predisposition to trait-based experiences of depersonalization/derealization-type experiences and autonomic arousal toward simulated body-threats, which were delivered to the participant’s own body (i.e. Self) and when observed being delivered to another individual (i.e. Other). Ninety participants took part in an “Implied Body-Threat Illusion” task (Dewe, Watson, & Braithwaite, 2016) and autonomic arousal was recorded via standardised skin conductance responses and finger temperature. Autonomic suppression in response to threats delivered to the Self correlated with increases in trait-based depersonalization-type experiences. In contrast, autonomic suppression for threats delivered to Others correlated with trait-based derealization-like experiences. Body-temperature and anticipatory arousal did not correlate reliably with predisposition to depersonalization- or derealization-type experiences. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed in terms of a fronto-limbic autonomic suppression mechanism.

Bibliographic note

This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Consciousness and Cognition. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Consciousness and Cognition, 63, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2018.06.008