Role of P300 in Identification of Biological Correlates of Autobiographical Memory among Patients with Dissociative Amnesia

Abstract Background: Dissociative amnesia is a psychiatric condition characterized by the sudden inability to recall important personal information; however, this memory loss is not due to any neurological damage but rather stems from psychological mechanisms. P300-MERMER, an event-related potential (ERP), is elicited in the process of recognition, decision-making and in person’s reaction to any stimulus. Aim: The present study explored the role of P300-MERMER for the identification of biological indicators of autobiographical memory among patients with Dissociative Amnesia. Methods: A sample of 10 participants were selected through a purposive sampling method who were presented with three types of stimuli, i.e., targets, irrelevant, and probes as words or pictures on a video monitor under computer control. The patients were tested by observing three kinds of information represented by different colored lines. Results: The mathematical and statistical algorithm was computed, and P300-MERMER was generated, which indicated that the patients with dissociative amnesia had the storage of memory information in the brain, and the loss of memory reported by the patient was not in congruence with the experiential context. Conclusion: The findings of the research could be of help to establish the significance of P300 and P300-MERMER brainwaves as an indicator to help form a psychiatric diagnosis, as well as the therapeutic purposes in neuropsychiatric conditions, to understand the nature of pathology in an objective manner by taking the help of laboratory findings.