Dissociative symptoms in schizophrenia: a connection to inflammatory processes

Background: Recent research suggests that systemic inflammation may contribute to dissociative psychopathology in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. In a cohort of 32 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, this study examined the relationship between peripheral C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and dissociative symptoms, as evaluated by the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II). Participants completed a clinical evaluation that encompassed sociodemographic and illness-related variables, and they then submitted blood samples for CRP analysis. Results: The prevalence of dissociative disorders in this study was 65.6%. Total dissociation and the subdimensions of absorption, amnesia, and depersonalization/derealization were assessed by the DES-II scores. The CRP levels ranged from 0.5 to 4.8 mg/L (M = 2.65, SD = 1.24). The Spearman’s rank correlation revealed a substantial positive correlation between total DES-II scores and CRP (ρ = 0.41, p < 0.05), suggesting that increased peripheral inflammation is linked to increased dissociative symptomatology. Conclusions: These findings support the hypothesis that neuroimmune dysregulation is a contributing factor to the pathogenesis of dissociation in schizophrenia and emphasize the potential of CRP as a peripheral biomarker for the identification of patients at a higher risk of dissociative experiences. Additional research that employs longitudinal designs and larger samples.