# Brain MRI



## mareyjane (Feb 13, 2010)

I'm wondering if anyone had a brain MRI suggested by a psychiatrist. I go to one on Monday. I'm sure they will find nothing bc I KNOW I have DP not a brain issue.

Also, I got my first book on DP today (Feeling Unreal) but I have a feeling this site is going to help more than anything.


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## mnlght_maiden (Feb 19, 2010)

It'll probably be fine- they're probably just checking to be sure everything's okay. Granted, MRI's do stink, but it's always better to be certain, even if it _does_ annoy us people with no certificates, degrees, or anything to make what we say worth listening to. : p


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## codeblue213 (Feb 15, 2010)

I wouldn't worry too much. I had an MRI and a CAT scan because the doctors were so puzzled with me. They all said my brain is fine. DP is not a form of brain damage.


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## Guest (Feb 20, 2010)

I had an MRI and it was fine.

But I've seen many posts on here listing tons of tests and scans that they've had done, and sometimes only one of them catches the culprit. I'm getting an EEG soon


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## mareyjane (Feb 13, 2010)

I had an EEG that was normal so it's unlikely there is anything wrong with my brain, but it will be nice to know for sure.


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## The Goat (Feb 23, 2010)

I was also told to get an MRI. I wouldn't be too worried.


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## sean murray (Mar 12, 2010)

my doc wants me to get one but he dosent understand what i try to tell him. he thinks i have a virus in my brain. he thiks its coxsakie i was born with and made me get a 1000 dollar blood test. and everything came out ok. he said dp/dr causes scaring on the brain. but hes a adhd doctor so idk why my parents want me to see him . hes a nutjob


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## m&m (Mar 8, 2010)

If they do just a standard MRI they are probably just ruling out tumors and whatever. If they add a verbal word test or something similar, they are probably taking the DP more seriously. They would be looking for changes in the brain, how your brain reacts emotional.

http://en.wikipedia....sonance_imaging
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depersonalization_disorder
In an fMRIstudy of DPD patients, emotionally aversive scenes activated the right ventral prefrontal cortex. Participants demonstrated a reduced neural response in emotion-sensitive regions, as well as an increased response in regions associated with emotional regulation.[sup][19][/sup] In a similar test of emotional memory, depersonalization disorder patients did not process emotionally salient material in the same way as healthy controls.[sup][20][/sup] In a test of skin conductance responses to unpleasant stimuli, the subjects showed a selective inhibitory mechanism on emotional processing.[sup][21][/sup]

Depersonalization disorder may be associated with dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, the area of the brain involved in the "fight-or-flight" response. Patients demonstrate abnormal cortisol levels and basal activity. Studies found that patients with DPD could be distinguished from patients with clinical depression and posttraumatic stress disorder.[sup][22][/sup][sup][23][/sup]


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## Guest (Mar 12, 2010)

I had a ct done at the very beginning of dp and it was completely normal. My doctor said that there are about 30 different physical disorders that can cause dp symptoms and also tests for all of those, which all came back normal as well. I am supposed to go see a neurologist as well because like a month back I convinced myself that I had something worse than just dp going on but now I don't think that's the case. If you get any test done, ask for a PET scan. DP shows up on PET scans. It won't do anything to help you find recovery but if you want some physical proof of the chemical changes happening in the brain, get a PET scan. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/157/11/1782


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## UnknownError (Jan 16, 2010)

voiceyourmind said:


> I'm wondering if anyone had a brain MRI suggested by a psychiatrist. I go to one on Monday. I'm sure they will find nothing bc I KNOW I have DP not a brain issue.
> 
> Also, I got my first book on DP today (Feeling Unreal) but I have a feeling this site is going to help more than anything.


 very helpful book, hope it gives you a better understanding


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