Apotemnophilia - Research Directions

Research Directions

Apotemnophilia has been studied for a number of years to determine whether this disorder is actually neurological or psychological. However, in-depth research related to apotemnophilia and its correlation to the mind and body are still not clear. Recent research has shown small breakthroughs such that apotemnophiles are three times more likely to want removal of a left limb than right, in accordance with damage to the right parietal lobe, and also in concordance with sufferers of somatoparaphrenia; in addition, skin conductance response is significantly different above and below the line of desired amputation, and the line of desired amputation remains stable over time, with the desire often beginning in early childhood . Among a convenience sample of 52 apotemnophiles recruited from internet groups, the great majority wanted a single leg removed, cut above the knee. There are parallels between apotemnophilia as a motivation for body integrity identity disorder and autogynephilia as a motivation for some cases of male-to-female gender identity disorder.

One study by Brang and his team helped scientifically back his hypothesis that apotemnophilia is a neurological disorder. His findings provide psychophysiological evidence to support the hypothesis that apotemnophilia arises from a congenital dysfunction of the right parietal lobe and, in particular the right superior parietal lobule, which receives and integrates input from various sensory areas and the insula to form a coherent sense of body image.

Apotemnophilia studies have frequently been using skin conductance tests. The reason why skin conductance was used in this test was because it is a good indicator of general sympathetic arousal.

Recently, Brang proposed that the failure of a congenitally dysfunctional right superior parietal lobule to form an unified body image leading to changes in skin conductance readings. When this dysfunction is acquired, as in somatoparaphrenia,the brain seems sometimes to rationalize the discrepancy by denying ownership of the limb. When the dysfunction is congenital it leads to a feeling that affected area should not be there to begin with and a desire for an amputation. Body Integrity Identity Disorder is located under Body Dysmorphic Disorder in the current DSM V.