About This Project

We are investigating Ritalin's role in alleviating symptoms of depersonalization-derealization (DPDR) disorder, which results from psychological trauma. Currently there is only one case study that has investigated the stimulant class's potential usefulness, reporting an abatement of DPDR symptoms after 4 months. We hypothesize that Ritalin will significantly alleviate DPDR symptoms in participants, particularly those with co-morbid ADHD.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

DPDR disorder produces a disturbing sense of detachment from one's body or surroundings, often as a result of psychological trauma. DPDR shares high diagnostic co-morbidity with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) due to overlap of clinical features such as inattention and lack of cognitive inhibition. Stimulant medication remains the gold-standard pharmacotherapy for ADHD. No such standard exists for DPDR, and studies measuring the efficacy of pharmacotherapies including SSRIs, tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and opioid antagonists in reducing dissociative symptoms have yielded generally unpromising and/or mixed results. These results highlight the critical need for further investigation into pharmacotherapy for DPDR.

What is the significance of this project?

DPDR disorder is associated with significant psychological distress resulting from feelings of unreality, emotion dysregulation, intrusive traumatic memory, self-harm, and overall diminished quality of life, and imposes a tremendous economic burden as a result of increased hospitalizations, functional impairment and unemployment, and mental healthcare utilization. Pharmacotherapy is not a mainstay of DPDR treatment, which may be attributable to the scarcity of research.

If Ritalin proves efficacious, it may greatly aid in the stabilization and symptom reduction phase of psychotherapeutic treatment. Ritalin would be an optimal medication with which to supplement psychotherapy, as it is highly accessible, affordable, and commonly prescribed.

What are the goals of the project?

The short-term goal of this study, for which we are seeking funding, is to better understand Ritalin's potential efficacy in treating individuals with DPDR disorder. We hypothesize that Ritalin will significantly alleviate DPDR symptoms among participants, and that this may be especially true for those endorsing ADHD experiences.

We will test our hypothesis by recruiting participants from Amazon Mechanical Turk. Participants will be prescreened for current prescribed Ritalin use. Having participants report DPDR symptoms pre-, during, and post-ingestion will enable us able to assess whether and to what extent Ritalin may influence DPDR experiences. Your contributions will enable us to compensate our participants.