title: The Relationships Between Dissociation, Attention, and Memory Dysfunction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dissociation is a disruption in the integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity, and perception. Dissociative symptoms include derealization/depersonalization, absorption, and amnesia. These experiences can cause a loss of control over mental processes, including memory and attention. In literature, there is a paucity of research concerning the relationships between dissociation and memory performance. In this study, our aim was to investigate the relationships between dissociative experiences, attention, and memory performance in a non-clinical community sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we examined the relationship between dissociation and cognitive dysfunction among 60 healthy volunteers. We administered the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised, Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Stroop Color Word Interference Test, and Dissociative Experience Scale. Here we examined the relationships between the subtypes of dissociation and memory performance as assessed by neuropsychological tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that verbal memory was negatively associated with dissociative experiences. Pathological dissociation, particularly amnesia and depersonalization/derealization, was reversely linked to general memory performance and long-term memory. Moreover, low dissociators reported higher scores on verbal memory, general memory performance, and long-term memory but lower scores on recognition than high dissociators.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of our study suggested that there are significant linkages between dissociative experiences and memory performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yüzüncü Yıl University Faculty of Medicine, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Özdemir
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yüzüncü Yıl University Faculty of Medicine, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Pınar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Güzel Özdemir
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Art, Yüzüncü Yıl University, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boysan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yüzüncü Yıl University Faculty of Medicine, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ekrem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
keywords: Dissociative experiences; cognitive functions; memory; neuropsychological tests