Application of Resting-State fMRI in Auxiliary Diagnosis of Dissociative Disorders: Advances in Cerebral Biomarker Research and Clinical Implications

Download PDF
Abstract: Dissociative disorders (DDs), a group of trauma-related psychiatric conditions, are characterized by disruptions in consciousness, memory integration, identity coherence, and perceptual continuity. These disorders present significant diagnostic challenges due to symptom overlap with other psychiatric conditions and the lack of objective biomarkers. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), a non-invasive neuroimaging modality, has emerged as a transformative tool for investigating the neurobiological underpinnings of DDs. By capturing low-frequency oscillations (0.01–0.1 Hz) in spontaneous neural activity, rs-fMRI enables the identification of functional network abnormalities, including default mode network (DMN) dysregulation, regional connectivity alterations, and compensatory neural mechanisms. This review synthesizes recent advancements in rs-fMRI biomarker research, highlighting its applications in differential diagnosis, therapeutic target identification, and prognostic evaluation. Critical limitations—such as sample heterogeneity, methodological variability, and insufficient causal inference—are discussed, with proposed solutions emphasizing multimodal data integration, genetic-epigenetic correlates, and interventional validation. The review concludes with a roadmap for advancing precision psychiatry in DDs management through innovative neuroimaging frameworks.
Keywords: Dissociative disorders; Resting-state fMRI; Default mode network; Translational biomarkers; Neurocircuitry; Precision psychiatry.
APA Citation: Yitian Yuan (2025). Application of Resting-State fMRI in Auxiliary Diagnosis of Dissociative Disorders: Advances in Cerebral Biomarker Research and Clinical Implications. Transactions on Materials, Biotechnology and Life Sciences, 8(1), 113-117. https://doi.org/10.62051/7gbv0a19

References

  1. American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
  2. Lanius, R. A., Williamson, P. C., Bluhm, R. L., Densmore, M., Boksman, K., Neufeld, R. W., ... & Menon, R. S. (2005). Functional connectivity of dissociative responses in posttraumatic stress disorder: A functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation. Biological Psychiatry, 57(8), 873–884. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.01.011
  3. World Health Organization. (1992). The ICD-10 classification of mental and behavioural disorders: Clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines. Geneva: Author.
  4. Biswal, B., Yetkin, F. Z., Haughton, V. M., & Hyde, J. S. (1995). Functional connectivity in the motor cortex of resting human brain using echo-planar MRI. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 34(4), 537–541. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrm.1910340409
  5. Ross, C. A. (1991). Epidemiology of multiple personality disorder and dissociation. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 14(3), 503–517.
  6. Yu Junhan, Xiao Zeping, Dai Yunfei, Zhang Tianhong, Wang Lanlan. (2007) Investigation of dissociative Disorders among Inpatients with mental disorders Shanghai Psychiatry, 19(1), 4-7.
  7. Schacter, D. L., Addis, D. R., & Buckner, R. L. (2007). Remembering the past to imagine the future: The prospective brain. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 8(9), 657–661. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2213
  8. Greicius, M. D., Srivastava, G., Reiss, A. L., & Menon, V. (2004). Default-mode network activity distinguishes Alzheimer’s disease from healthy aging: Evidence from functional MRI. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 101(13), 4637–4642. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0308627101
  9. Raichle, M. E., MacLeod, A. M., Snyder, A. Z., Powers, W. J., Gusnard, D. A., & Shulman, G. L. (2001). A default mode of brain function. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 98(2), 676–682. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.98.2.676
  10. Beckmann, C. F., DeLuca, M., Devlin, J. T., & Smith, S. M. (2005). Investigations into resting-state connectivity using independent component analysis. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 360(1457), 1001–1013.
  11. Bullmore, E., & Sporns, O. (2009). Complex brain networks: Graph theoretical analysis of structural and functional systems. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(3), 186–198. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2575
  12. Hutchison, R. M., Womelsdorf, T., Allen, E. A., Bandettini, P. A., Calhoun, V. D., Corbetta, M., ... & Chang, C. (2013). Dynamic functional connectivity: Promise, issues, and interpretations. NeuroImage, 80, 360–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.05.079
  13. Buckner, R. L., Andrews-Hanna, J. R., & Schacter, D. L. (2008). The brain’s default network: Anatomy, function, and relevance to disease. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1124(1), 1–38. https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1440.011
  14. Jang, J. H., Jung, W. H., Choi, J. S., Choi, C. H., Kang, D. H., Shin, N. Y., ... & Kwon, J. S. (2011). Reduced prefrontal functional connectivity in the default mode network is related to greater psychopathology in subjects with high genetic loading for schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 127(1–3), 58–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2010.12.022
  15. Zhang Xuan, Sui Zhongqing, Song Tianbin, et al. Preliminary study on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging in patients with dissociative disorder. Journal of Psychiatry,2016,29(01):19-22.
  16. Karmonik, C., Dulay, M., Verma, A., & McGregor, A. (2010). Brain activation in complex partial seizures during switching for the goal-directed task to a resting state: Comparison of fMRI maps to the default mode network. Conference Proceedings of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 2010, 5685–5688. https://doi.org/10.1109/IEMBS.2010.5627895
  17. Hassabis, D., & Maguire, E. A. (2007). Deconstructing episodic memory with construction. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 11(7), 299–306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2007.05.001
  18. World Health Organization. (2019). ICD-11 clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines. Geneva: Author.
  19. Lanius, R. A., Vermetten, E., & Loewenstein, R. J. (2014). Psychotherapy and neuroplasticity: From mechanisms to clinical applications. *Frontiers in Psychiatry*, 5, 177.
  20. Linden, D. E. J. (2014). Neurofeedback and networks of depression. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 16(1), 103–112. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2014.16.1/dlinden
  21. Daniels, J. K., Frewen, P., McKinnon, M. C., & Lanius, R. A. (2013). Hippocampal volume and memory performance in PTSD with dissociative symptoms. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 47(7), 997–1004. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2013.01.016