Psychogenic or Dissociative Fugue: A Clinical Investigation of Five Cases

Abstract

Dissociative fugue (formerly psychogenic fugue) is a rare and little understood dissociative disorder. Following a review of the pertinent literature, five cases of dissociative fugue are described. These cases were systematically studied with a comprehensive history, mental status examination, physical and neurological evaluation, review of previous medical and psychiatric records, and psychological testing including MMPI, WAIS–R, electroencephalogram, and Dissociative Experiences Scale. An unexpected finding was that, in some cases, associated criminal activity may allow the person with dissociative fugue to continue to function in spite of their loss of memory and original identity.