A Meta-Analysis of Hippocampal and Amygdala Volumes in Patients Diagnosed With Dissociative Identity Disorder

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), an illness characterized by multiple personality states, has long been a controversial diagnosis within the psychiatric community. Demonstrating neuroanatomical basis for disorder may help to resolve controversy. Current literature on neuroanatomy associated with DID focused hippocampus and amygdala are inconclusive. This meta-analysis pools results from n = 3 studies compare mean size of these two structures between patients, non-DID healthy controls. Patients diagnosed both & PTSD were found have smaller hippocampi bilaterally (p< .001) compared controls; no significant difference was seen in amygdala. When comparing left .001), trend right (p .06). A comparison not possible due lack data. These findings suggest that is patients beyond what PTSD, provides evidence memory impairment often (i.e., amnesia experienced host alters), presents potentially novel means understand this disorder.