Selin Laçin

Dissociative Identity Disorder: An Integrative Study from the Perspectives of Mind, Brain, Body, Memory and Language

Bagcilar Medical Bulletin June 10, 2026 Hasan Belli, Selin Laçin

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a developmental adaptation to chronic childhood trauma, not merely a clinical diagnosis. It involves identity changes, dissociative amnesia, and fragmented self-states (ego-states) that align with modern cognitive theories of subjective experience. Neuroimaging shows significant brain activity differences between ego-states, especially in the hippocampus, amygdala, and parahippocampal gyrus. Peripheral psychophysiological measures like heart rate, skin conductance, and muscle activity also differ across states. Memory dysfunction is central: discontinuities in autobiographical memory, fragmented storage of traumatic memories, and state-dependent memory are key features.