[enigma]

Okay, this question is really for the bigger brains here (you know who you are :wink: ).

In the article "Feeling Unreal: A PET Study of Depersonalization Disorder" (The American Journal of Psychiatry, Nov. 2000), it states that: "Compared to the healthy subjects, subjects with depersonalization disorder showed significantly lower metabolic activity in right Brodmann's areas 22 and 21 of the superior and middle temporal gyri and had significantly higher metabolism in parietal Brodmann's areas 7B and 39 and left occipital Brodmann's area 19. Dissociation and depersonalization scores among the subjects with depersonalization disorder were significantly positively correlated with metabolic activity in area 7B".

Alright, so what this intellectual fly-weight here is interested in knowing is: does higher and lower metabolic activity in different brain areas correlate with the rate of usage/nonusage of these areas?

Singing, for example, simultaneously activates right Brodmann's areas 21 and 22 (e.g. blood flow to these regions increase during this activity).

I don't know what the other areas (which are higher in metabolic activity in DP'rs) are involved in, but I'm just guessing that refraining from whatever might activate these areas could have the effect of gradually lowering metabolism in them to normal levels?

Overall what I'm wondering is: If metabolic rates in dp'd brains could be made to match those of non-dp'd brains by engaging in activities that stimulate certain brain areas, while suppressing activity in other brain areas, could this possibly have the effect of alleviating (if not eliminating) the symptoms of depersonalization disorder?

Brainy ones, you now have the floor.

Impress us. (Educated guesses are fine.)

e

 

[orangeaid]

I know when I am driving in my car i love to sing, singing keeps me alert but I think it does more than that because when I sing I feel rather good. I know it also changes my thought process, but maybe it also stimulates some blood flow.

 

[nemesis]

Thanks for forwarding on such a fascinating report!

I'm really rushed for time today so please excuse me as this post is going to be in point form consisting of poorly referenced snippets gleaned from the web.

According to The Neuroscience on the Web Series, the Brodmann's classification system is as follows:

Brodmann's Classification System

Figure 4. Brodmann's Areas approximated in the human brain.

The Frontal Lobe contains areas that Brodmann identified as involved in cognitive functioning and in speech and language.

Area 4 corresponds to the precentral gyrus or primary motor area.

Area 6 is the premotor or supplemental motor area.

Area 8 is anterior of the premotor cortex. It facilitates eye movements and is involved in visual reflexes as well as pupil dilation and constriction.

Areas 9, 10, and 11 are anterior to area 8. They are involved in cognitive processes like reasoning and judgement which may be collectively called biological intelligence.

Area 44 is Broca's area.

Areas in the Parietal Lobe play a role in somatosensory processes.

Areas 3, 2, and 1 are located on the primary sensory strip, with area 3 being superior to the other two. These are somastosthetic areas, meaning that they are the primary sensory areas for touch and kinesthesia.

Areas 5, 7, and 40 are found posterior to the primary sensory strip and correspond to the presensory to sensory association areas.

Area 39 is the angular gyrus.

Areas involved in the processing of auditory information and semantics as well as the appreciation of smell are found in the Temporal Lobe.

Area 41 is Heschl's gyrus, or the primary auditory area.

Area 42 immediately inferior to area 41 and is also involved in the detection and recognition of speech. The processing done in this area of the cortex provides a more detailed analysis than that done in area 41.

Areas 21 and 22 are the auditory association areas. Both areas are divided into two parts; one half of each area lies on either side of area 42.

Area 37 is found on the posterior-inferior part of the temporal lobe. Lesions here will cause anomia.

The Occipital Lobe contains areas that process visual stimuli.

Area 17 is the primary visual area.

Areas 18 and 19 are the secondary visual areas.
______________________________________________________

Areas 21 and 22 named in the report as having an abnormally low level of metabolism are the temporal lobes. The region encompasses most of the lateral temporal cortex, a region believed to play a part in auditory processing and language.

The functions of the left temporal lobe are not limited to low-level perception but extend to comprehension, naming, verbal memory and other language functions. (Wikipedia: Temporal Lobe Function)

Damage (and Im going to make a presumption that this may also in part relate to under activity) to the temporal lobes have been known to cause 1) disturbance of auditory sensation and perception, 2) disturbance of selective attention of auditory and visual input, 3) disorders of visual perception, 4) impaired organization and categorization of verbal material, 5) disturbance of language comprehension, 6) impaired long-term memory, 7) altered personality and affective behavior, 8) altered sexual behavior.
(Traumatic Brain Injury: Temporal Lobes)

Now heres where it starts to get really cool. Areas 7b, 39 and 19 were noted as having a higher level of metabolic activity, meaning that those areas were more active.

Area 7b, an area of higher metabolism in DP sufferers corresponds to the presensory to sensory association areas, meaning a hightened sensory arrousal is taking place. (More alertly monitoring your environment?). Area 7 is part of the parietal cortex in the human brain. Situated posterior to the primary somesthetic areas (Brodmann areas 1, 2 and 3), and superior to visual cortices (Brodmann areas 17, 18 and 19), this region is believed to play in visuo-motor coordination (e.g., in reaching to grasp an object).

Another area of raised activity, Area 39 is the angular gyrus, and it is a region of the brain in the parietal lobe, that lies near the superior edge of the temporal lobe, and immediately posterior to the supramarginal gyrus; it is involved in a number of processes related to language and cognition. Geshwind proposes that written word is translated to internal monologue via the angular gyrus.
(Wikipedia: Angular gyrus)

Finally, area 19 is the last area of elevated metabolism and it belongs to the secondary visual area and are a member of the occipital lobe cortex, a part of the brain which processes visual data from the eyes.
______________________________________________________

The DP PET study suggests that depersonalization disorder as the dissociative disorder in which there is a failure to integrate perception (I'd also include emmotional content) with the sense of self, as well as with specific experiences that subjects describe.

My opinion is that you might also extrapolate that the over activation of the area 39 may be indicative of the desperate need to rationalize their surroundings exprerienced by some sufferers.

 

[nemesis]

During a routine visit with my neurologist, I've produced the above PET study on depersonalization. To his his amazement the characteristic features shown in the PET results almost exactly matched those of my SPECT scan.

I'm still a little unsure as to how profound this discovery may be as the scientific community is still a long way from understanding why symptoms of depersonalization are triggered, but its nice to know that I can finally put a label on the last 10 years of suffering!

 

[enigma]

During a routine visit with my neurologist, I've produced the above PET study on depersonalization. To his his amazement the characteristic features shown in the PET results almost exactly matched those of my SPECT scan.

That's fascinating.

I'm still a little unsure as to how profound this discovery may be as the scientific community is still a long way from understanding why symptoms of depersonalization are triggered,

What I'm interested in for the time being is whether we could find practical applications for these research findings now (as opposed to waiting on the professionals).

but its nice to know that I can finally put a label on the last 10 years of suffering!

Well it doesn't get any more certain than that (and anyone else here who's due to have any SPECT/PET scanning done [or has had them done, and thus already has them on file] in the foreseeable future I would encourage to do the same, then report back here on it).

Also, thanks for all the info you posted, nem, I've run off a copy of it.

e

 

[Sojourner]

After all, what other purpose does music serve?

 

[Universal]

That's some great research there! TWO THUMBS WAY UP!

 

[Sojourner]

Great music for your brain:

- Mozart, esp. piano sonatas
- Mendelssohn, esp. sacred music such as on the Harmonia Mundi CD# HMC 901272
- Arvo Part
- J.S. Bach

I don't think heavy metal has the same beneficial effect, but good, classic rock (Beatles; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; The Mamas and the Papas; the Guess Who); good jazz; good big band/swing; and good Irish folk like Wolfstone are terrific. These, of course, leave out many others.

It's just my opinion, of course, but I don't think a lot of hard rock is as good for the purpose of healing the brain.

Classical music is not just beautiful; it actually does something to the brain's ability to create new neural connections, to concentrate, and to experience the highest human emotions.

 

[nemesis]

After reading various studies on Anxiety disorders, Bipolar and this study on Depersonalization, I'm suprised to see the correlation between hyperactivity in the occipital (spatial), cingulate and limbic systems in each of these illnesses.