The sleep phenotype of Borderline Personality Disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Association of Sleep Pattern and Genetic Susceptibility with Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Prospective Analysis of the UK Biobank

Purpose

The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is high worldwide. This study aimed to quantify the relationship between the incidence of OSA and sleep patterns and genetic susceptibility.

Methods

A total of 355,133 white British participants enrolled in the UK Biobank between 2006 and 2010 with follow-up data until September 2021 were recruited. We evaluated sleep patterns using a customized sleep scoring method based on the low-risk sleep phenotype, defined as follows: morning chronotype, 7-8 hours of sleep per day, never/rarely experience insomnia, no snoring, no frequent daytime sleepiness, never/rarely nap, and easily getting up early. The polygenic risk score was calculated to assess genetic susceptibility to OSA. Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the associations between OSA and sleep patterns and genetic susceptibility.

Results

During a mean follow-up of 12.57 years, 4618 participants were diagnosed with OSA (age: 56.83 ± 7.69 years, women: 31.3%). Compared with those with a poor sleep pattern, participants with a normal (HR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.38-0.46), ideal (HR: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.19-0.24), or optimal (HR: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.12-0.18) sleep pattern were significantly more likely to have OSA. The genetic susceptibility of 173,239 participants was calculated, and the results showed that poor (HR: 3.67, 95% CI: 2.95-4.57) and normal (HR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.66-2.16) sleep patterns with high genetic susceptibility can increase the risk for OSA.

Conclusion

This large-scale prospective study provides evidence suggesting that sleep patterns across seven low-risk sleep phenotypes may protect against OSA in individuals with varying degrees of genetic susceptibility.

Interventions to improve the sleep quality of adults with personality disorder: A systematic review

Poor quality sleep is common for people who have a diagnosis of personality disorder (PD). Core cognitive and behavioral features of PD may cause and perpetuate poor sleep, but to date, no review has collated the evidence on the efficacy of interventions to improve sleep quality for people with PD. Structured searches for interventional studies among adults with PD and reporting validated measures of sleep quality were conducted up to November 2022 in multiple databases. Single-case reports were excluded. Study quality was assessed with standardized risk of bias tools. Unreported data was sought systematically from authors. This review was pre-registered with an international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD42021282105). Of the 3503 identified studies, nine met inclusion criteria, representing a range of psychological, pharmaceutical, and other interventions and outcome measures. Meta-analytic methods were not feasible because of the serious risk of bias in all studies, and results were therefore synthesized narratively. There is limited and low-quality evidence of the effects of a variety of interventions to improve the sleep quality of people living with PD. Further research might consider specifically including people diagnosed with PD in trials of sleep interventions and using sleep outcome measures in trials of established PD treatments.

Sleep Quality After Quetiapine Augmentation in Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression and Personality Disorders

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND

Quetiapine is a first-line augmenting agent for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and is used off-label in insomnia. Quetiapine and its active metabolite norquetiapine act mostly on 5-HT2A, 5-HT2C, H1, and D2 as antagonists and on 5-HT1A as partial agonists. Patients with TRD often have comorbid personality disorder (PD), and evidence suggests an association between sleep disturbance and recovery among patients with PD. Here, we aimed to evaluate the effects of quetiapine on sleep in TRD patients with and without PD (PD+/PD-).

METHODS/PROCEDURES

We reviewed health records of 38 patients with TRD (20 TRD/PD+) who had been treated with a pharmacotherapy regimen including quetiapine. Clinical outcomes were determined by comparing changes in sleep items of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale at the beginning (T0) and after 3 months of an unchanged treatment (T3).

FINDINGS/RESULTS

Patients with TRD/PD+ and TRD/PD- taking quetiapine showed significant improvement in sleep items from T0 to T3 (P < 0.001, ηp2 ≥ 0.19). There was a significant personality × time interaction for sleep-maintenance insomnia (P = 0.006, ηp2 = 0.23), with TRD/PD+ showing a greater improvement at T3 compared with TRD/PD- (P = 0.01). While exploring other sleep items, no personality × time interaction was found. In the TRD/PD- group, improvement in sleep items was associated with an overall improvement in depressive symptoms (r = 0.55, P = 0.02).

IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS

Quetiapine induced greater improvements in sleep-maintenance insomnia among TRD/PD+ patients than TRD/PD-. These findings suggest quetiapine could have a therapeutic role for insomnia in PD underscoring a distinct underlying neurobiological mechanism of sleep disturbance in people living with PD.

The influence of sleep on emotion dysregulation in borderline personality disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and healthy controls

Emotion dysregulation is central to borderline personality disorder (BPD) and exacerbated by sleep disruptions. This study investigated whether homeostatic (i.e., sleep efficiency), circadian (i.e., chronotype), and subjective (i.e., sleep quality) sleep elements predict emotion dysregulation in BPD, healthy controls (HCs), and a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) group. Participants (N = 120) with BPD, GAD, and HCs completed daily sleep measures for seven days prior to an experiment wherein baseline emotion, emotional reactions to stressors (i.e., reactivity), and the extent to which they can decrease their emotion using mindfulness and distraction (i.e., emotion regulation) were measured across self-reported, sympathetic, and parasympathetic emotion. Across groups, earlier chronotypes and higher sleep quality predicted less self-reported baseline negative emotion, and higher sleep quality predicted better parasympathetic emotion regulation. For HCs, higher sleep efficiency and lower sleep quality predicted higher parasympathetic baseline emotion, and higher sleep efficiency predicted more self-reported baseline negative emotion. Also in HCs, earlier chronotype predicted better sympathetic emotion regulation, and there was a quadratic relationship between sleep efficiency and self-reported emotion regulation. Optimizing sleep quality and improving alignment between chronotype and daily living may improve baseline emotion and emotion regulation. Healthy individuals may be particularly vulnerable to high or low sleep efficiency.

Patterns of polysomnography parameters in 27 neuropsychiatric diseases: an umbrella review

BACKGROUND

We provide an umbrella review of the reported polysomnographic changes in patients with neuropsychiatric diseases compared with healthy controls.

METHODS

An electronic literature search was conducted in EMBASE, MEDLINE, All EBM databases, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. Meta-analyses of case-control studies investigating the polysomnographic changes in patients with neuropsychiatric diseases were included. For each meta-analysis, we estimated the summary effect size using random effects models, the 95% confidence interval, and the 95% prediction interval. We also estimated between-study heterogeneity, evidence of excess significance bias, and evidence of small-study effects. The levels of evidence of polysomnographic changes in neuropsychiatric diseases were ranked as follows: not significant, weak, suggestive, highly suggestive, or convincing.

RESULTS

We identified 27 articles, including 465 case-control studies in 27 neuropsychiatric diseases. The levels of evidence of polysomnographic changes in neuropsychiatric diseases were highly suggestive for increased sleep latency and decreased sleep efficiency (SE) in major depressive disorder (MDD), increased N1 percentage, and decreased N2 percentage, SL and REML in narcolepsy, and decreased rapid eye movement (REM) sleep percentage in Parkinson's disease (PD). The suggestive evidence decreased REM latency in MDD, decreased total sleep time and SE in PD, and decreased SE in posttraumatic stress disorder and in narcolepsy.

CONCLUSIONS

The credibility of evidence for sleep characteristics in 27 neuropsychiatric diseases varied across polysomnographic variables and diseases. When considering the patterns of altered PSG variables, no two diseases had the same pattern of alterations, suggesting that specific sleep profiles might be important dimensions for defining distinct neuropsychiatric disorders.

Accelerated epigenetic aging in women with emotionally unstable personality disorder and a history of suicide attempts

Emotional unstable personality disorder (EUPD; previously borderline personality disorder, BPD) is associated with excess natural-cause mortality, comorbid medical conditions, poor health habits and stress related epigenomic alterations. Previous studies demonstrated that GrimAge - a state-of-the-art epigenetic age (EA) estimator - strongly predicts mortality risk and physiological dysregulation. Herein, we utilize the GrimAge algorithm to investigate whether women with EUPD and a history of recent suicide attempts exhibit EA acceleration (EAA) in comparison to healthy controls. Genome-wide methylation patterns were measured using the Illumina Infinum Methylation Epic BeadChip in whole blood from 97 EUPD patients and 32 healthy controls. The control group was significantly older (p < 0.0001) and reported lesser exposure to violent behavior in both youth and adulthood (p < 0.0001). Groups were otherwise comparable regarding gender, BMI, or tobacco usage (p > 0.05). EA estimator DNAmGrimAge exceeded chronological age by 8.8 and 2.3 years in the EUPD and control group, respectively. Similarly, EAA marker AgeAccelGrim was substantially higher in EUPD subjects when compared to controls, in both univariate and multivariate analyzes (p < 0.00001). Tobacco usage conferred substantial within-group effects on the EA-chronological age difference, i.e., 10.74 years (SD = 4.19) compared to 6.00 years (SD = 3.10) in the non-user EUPD group (p < 0.00001). Notably, past alcohol and substance abuse, use of psychotropic medications, global assessment of functioning, self-reported exposure to violent behavior in youth and adulthood, later completed suicide (N = 8) and age at first suicide attempt did not predict EAA in the EUPD group (p > 0.05). These results underscore the importance of addressing medical health conditions along with low-cost preventative interventions aimed at improving somatic health outcomes in EUPD, such as efforts to support cessation of tobacco use. The independency of GrimAge to other EA algorithms in this group of severely impaired EUPD patients, suggest it may have unique characteristics to evaluate risk of adverse health outcomes in context of psychiatric disorders.

Understanding the development of bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder in young people: a meta-review of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND

There is ongoing debate on the nosological position of bipolar disorder (BD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Identifying the unique and shared risks, developmental pathways, and symptoms in emerging BD and BPD could help the field refine aetiological hypotheses and improve the prediction of the onset of these disorders. This study aimed to: (a) systematically synthesise the available evidence from systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) concerning environmental, psychosocial, biological, and clinical factors leading to the emergence of BD and BPD; (b) identify the main differences and common features between the two disorders to characterise their complex interplay and, (c) highlight remaining evidence gaps.

METHODS

Data sources were; PubMed, PsychINFO, Embase, Cochrane, CINAHL, Medline, ISI Web of Science. Overlap of included SRs/MAs was assessed using the corrected covered area process. The methodological quality of each included SR and MA was assessed using the AMSTAR.

RESULTS

22 SRs and MAs involving 249 prospective studies met eligibility criteria. Results demonstrated that family history of psychopathology, affective instability, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, depression, sleep disturbances, substance abuse, psychotic symptoms, suicidality, childhood adversity and temperament were common predisposing factors across both disorders. There are also distinct factors specific to emerging BD or BPD.

CONCLUSIONS

Prospective studies are required to increase our understanding of the development of BD and BPD onset and their complex interplay by concurrently examining multiple measures in BD and BPD at-risk populations.

Guided internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in patients with borderline personality disorder: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a highly disabling psychiatric disorder with emotion dysregulation at its core, resulting in affective instability, impulsivity and sometimes self-harming or suicidal behavior. Sleep is increasingly recognized to play a crucial role in emotion regulation. BPD patients often suffer from (severe) insomnia, potentially aggravating symptoms and preventing recovery from BPD. Yet, the effects of insomnia treatments have not been investigated in context of BPD. Guided internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (iCBT-I; i-Sleep) has been proven effective in improving both insomnia and affective symptoms. In this randomized controlled trial among 96 patients with a DSM-5 diagnosis of BPD (or other personality disorder with ≥4 BPD traits) and insomnia symptoms, we will test the effectiveness of iCBT-I before regular BPD treatment starts, during the waitlist period, on BPD symptoms. Patients in the control group monitor their sleep through a sleep diary during the waitlist period and also receive standard BPD treatment after that. Using linear mixed models we will test the hypothesis that the iCBT-I group improves more than the control group on BPD symptoms (primary outcome), insomnia severity, additional subjective and objective sleep variables, emotion regulation, comorbid anxiety and depression complaints, and quality of life. These effects are thought to arise from a direct effect of improved sleep on emotion regulation and a synergistic effect on the consolidation and internalization of the BPD treatment effect. To our knowledge, this is the first trial assessing effectiveness of CBT-I in patients with BPD (traits). The accessibility of the studied intervention greatly facilitates clinical implication in case of positive results.

The Impact of Homeostatic and Circadian Sleep Processes on Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Suicide Urges in Borderline Personality Disorder

OBJECTIVE

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) involves high rates of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behaviors, which are often preceded by urges. Disrupted sleep processes have been linked to NSSI and suicidal behaviors. However, it is unclear which specific sleep processes influence NSSI and suicide urges at rest (i.e., baseline) or in response to distress (i.e., reactivity) in BPD, and thus require targeting in BPD-specific interventions. This study examined whether two distinct homeostatic sleep processes (i.e., total sleep time [TST] and time in bed [TIB]), and one circadian sleep process (i.e., chronotype, or tendencies toward early versus late bed and rise times) predict baseline NSSI and suicide urges and urge reactivity in BPD.

METHODS

Forty adults with BPD completed a seven-day sleep diary to measure average TST and TIB. They then completed a questionnaire to measure chronotype and underwent an experiment wherein they rated NSSI and suicide urges at baseline and following an emotion induction.

RESULTS

Generalized estimating equations revealed that higher TST was associated with lower baseline NSSI urges, and lower suicide urge reactivity. Additionally, higher TIB predicted higher NSSI urge reactivity.

CONCLUSIONS

Sleep deprivation and extended time in bed may increase proclivity toward NSSI and/or suicide. Targeting these variables in BPD interventions may ultimately facilitate the reduction of NSSI and suicidal acts. HighlightsHigher total sleep time predicts lower baseline NSSI urges, suicide urge reactivityHigher time in bed predicts higher NSSI urge reactivityReducing sleep deprivation in BPD may facilitate reductions in suicide, NSSI urges.

Adult ADHD and sleep disorders: Prevalence, severity and predictors of sleep disorders in a sample of Italian psychiatric outpatients

OBJECTIVE

Sleep disorders are frequent in adult subjects diagnosed with ADHD. The aims of the present study were to assess the prevalence and the severity of sleep disorders in a sample of Italian psychiatric outpatients, to compare the prevalence and severity of sleep disorders in patients with and without diagnosis of adult ADHD, and to evaluate the role of ADHD as an individual predictor of sleep disturbances severity.

METHOD

634 outpatients accessing psychiatric services were assessed with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) Plus V. 5.0.0 interview and the Adult ADHD self-report Scale Symptoms Checklist (ASRS)-V 1.1 Short Form. Patients positive to the ASRS-V 1.1 were assessed with the Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in Adults (DIVA) 2.0. Sleep disorders and sleep disturbances' severity were assessed with the PROMIS Adult Sleep Disturbance Scale.

RESULTS

Sleep disorders were more frequent (p < 0.001) and sleep disturbances were more severe (d = 1.26, p < 0.001) in subjects diagnosed with adult ADHD compared to other outpatients. Among the 44 subjects diagnosed with ADHD, 15 (34.1%) reported no or slight sleep disturbances, 9 (20.5%) a mild sleep disorder, 17 (38.6%) a moderate sleep disorder and 3 (6.8%) a severe sleep disorder. ADHD diagnosis, multiple psychiatric comorbidity and history of suicide attempts emerged as individual predictors of worse sleep disturbances.

CONCLUSION

Sleep disorders are more frequent and severe in subjects diagnosed with ADHD compared to other adult outpatients. Sleep disturbances might represent an intrinsic feature in adult ADHD subjects, presenting important clinical repercussions, and should be routinely evaluated and monitored in this population.

Potential mechanisms underlying sleep disturbance in young people with borderline personality disorder features: an exploratory study

BACKGROUND

Sleep disturbance is common among young people (15-25 years) with features of borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, the mechanisms underlying sleep disturbance in BPD remain unknown. Understanding these underlying processes is essential to guide the development of sleep-improvement interventions and to optimise their efficacy through identifying beneficial treatment targets. This exploratory study aimed to investigate potential underlying mechanisms to inform future hypotheses, research development, and provide insight into potential treatment targets to improve sleep in young people with BPD. This study explored the indirect roles of emotion regulation difficulties, depression, anxiety and stress in the relationship between BPD features and sleep disturbance in young people.

METHODS

Sleep was measured subjectively (self-report questionnaires) and objectively (10 days wrist actigraphy) in 40 young people with BPD features and 38 healthy young people. Participants also completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale.

RESULTS

Mediation analyses revealed that impulse control difficulties, limited emotion regulation strategies and anxiety indirectly affected the relationship between group (BPD vs. healthy) and subjective sleep disturbance in young people. Lack of emotional awareness and anxiety contributed to associations between group and objectively longer time in bed and bedtime variability, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

These preliminary findings suggest that targeting emotional dysregulation (impulse control, strategies, emotional awareness) and anxiety might be beneficial for improving sleep in this population.

Sleep in Young People With Features of Borderline Personality Disorder: A Scoping Review

Sleep disturbance is commonly reported in young people with features of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Examining sleep quality and sleep-wake patterns in young people with features of BPD is essential to inform the development of sleep-improvement interventions. A scoping review was conducted according to the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. The objectives were to map the literature regarding sleep in young people with features of BPD, highlight areas for further investigation, and provide methodological recommendations for future research. Seven data sets were included in the review. Young people with features of BPD had poorer objective and subjective sleep quality, disturbed sleep architecture (particularly rapid-eye-movement sleep), an increased vulnerability to delayed sleep phase syndrome, and more nightmares and dream anxiety, compared with healthy individuals. Future research should use both objective and subjective sleep measures, include clinical comparison groups, and focus specifically on young people with BPD.

The role of sleep disturbance in the associations of borderline personality disorder symptom severity to nonsuicidal self-injury and suicide risk among patients with substance use disorders

This study sought to examine the explanatory role of sleep disturbance in the associations of borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptom severity to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide risk within an at-risk sample of patients with substance use disorders (SUDs), as well as whether emotion regulation (ER) difficulties account for significant variance in the relations of sleep disturbance to NSSI and suicide risk. Patients in a residential SUD treatment facility (N = 166) completed a diagnostic interview and questionnaires. Results revealed significant indirect relations of BPD symptom severity to both NSSI frequency and suicide risk through sleep disturbance. In addition, ER difficulties accounted for significant variance in the relation of sleep disturbance to NSSI frequency (but not suicide risk). Findings highlight the relevance of sleep disturbance to the association between BPD symptoms and both suicidal and nonsuicidal self-injury and suggest the potential utility of interventions aimed at improving sleep quality among individuals with BPD pathology.

Homocysteine as a potential indicator of endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular risk in female patients with borderline personality disorder

BACKGROUND

There is increasing evidence suggesting that patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD) compared to the general population. Homocysteine (Hcy) has been discussed as a serum marker for endothelial dysfunction as a mechanism involved in CVD and has been shown to be associated with numerous psychiatric conditions. Pathophysiologically, there seems to be a link between Hcy and psychological stress mediated by abnormal activity of the autonomic nervous system. Accordingly, the present study sought to examine Hcy in BPD and to explore possible associations with clinical parameters.

METHODS

Plasma Hcy levels as well as conventional cardiovascular risk factors, such as blood pressure, BMI, smoking habits, HbA_1c, HDL, LDL, and cholesterol, were examined in 49 young female in-patients diagnosed with BPD and 50 psychologically healthy control subjects matched for age and sex. Assessment of borderline symptom severity, childhood trauma, exposure to chronic stress, and quality of sleep was performed using self-reported questionnaires.

RESULTS

BPD patients showed significantly higher mean plasma Hcy concentrations compared to controls, though below ranges considered pathological. Moreover, Hcy correlated significantly with the severity of childhood trauma, chronic stress, and subjective sleep disturbances. In a regression model BPD diagnosis was found to predict Hcy levels best.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, young female BPD patients with no history of CVD show higher, though non-pathological, Hcy levels compared to healthy controls. Our findings seem to support the assumption that BPD is associated with increased risk of CVD, and that Hcy could serve as potential marker for risk evaluation of midlife CVD in BPD patients.

Reciprocal effects between daily situational perceptions and borderline personality symptoms in young adulthood: the role of childhood parenting experiences

BACKGROUND

Recent research has emphasized the importance of within-person transactions between situational perceptions and borderline symptomatology. The current study extends current evidence by evaluating a broad range of situational perceptions and their transactions with borderline symptomatology across both private and professional contexts. Additionally, it explores whether early experiences of parental harsh punishment and emotional support during childhood, two well-established etiological factors in developmental theories of borderline symptomatology, influence the effect of daily situation perception in adulthood on borderline symptom presentation.

METHODS

N = 131 young adults (Mage = 20.97, s.d.age = 1.64) completed end-of-day diaries of their borderline symptoms and perceptions of the home and school or work environment for 14 days. During their mid-childhood, reports of maternal strategies of harsh punishment and emotional support were collected.

RESULTS

Findings revealed that on the same day, borderline symptoms were associated with more negative and stressful, and less positive perceptions of both the private and professional context. Additionally, borderline symptoms predicted more negative and stressful perceptions of school/work on subsequent days. Finally, while early harsh punishment predicted overall increases in daily borderline symptoms 10 years later, emotionally supportive parenting in childhood predicted decreases in borderline symptom expression in less positive and more stressful contexts.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study points to the importance of managing BPD symptoms to reduce subsequent negative perceptions of the environment, and also indicates the relevance of exploring adult person-situation processes based on early parenting experiences.

Subjective and objective sleep in young people with borderline personality disorder features

Characterising sleep in young people (aged 15-25 years) with borderline personality disorder (BPD) features is crucial given the association between BPD features and sleep disturbance, negative consequences of poor sleep, and normative developmental sleep changes that occur in this age group. The present study aimed to characterise the sleep profile of young people with BPD to determine whether this profile is non-normative and specific to BPD. Participants were 96 young people (40 with BPD features, 38 healthy individuals, and 18 young people seeking help for mental health difficulties without BPD). Sleep was measured subjectively (self-report questionnaires) and objectively (10 days of actigraphy). Young people with BPD features reported poorer subjective sleep quality, greater insomnia symptoms and later chronotype than same-age healthy and clinical comparison groups. Young people with BPD features also displayed irregular sleep timing, later rise times, greater time in bed and longer sleep durations than healthy young people. Those with BPD features had superior sleep quality (greater sleep efficiency, less wake after sleep onset) and longer sleep durations than the clinical comparison group. Sleep profiles were similar across young people with BPD features with and without co-occurring depression. Overall, the findings revealed a subjective-objective sleep discrepancy and suggest that sleep-improvement interventions might be beneficial to improve subjective sleep in young people with BPD features.

The Emerging Circadian Phenotype of Borderline Personality Disorder: Mechanisms, Opportunities and Future Directions

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

We review the recent evidence suggesting that circadian rhythm disturbance is a common unaddressed feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD); amelioration of which may confer substantial clinical benefit. We assess chronobiological BPD studies from a mechanistic and translational perspective and highlight opportunities for the future development of this hypothesis.

RECENT FINDINGS

The emerging circadian phenotype of BPD is characterised by a preponderance of comorbid circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, phase delayed and misaligned rest-activity patterns and attenuated amplitudes of usually well-characterised circadian rhythms. Such disturbances may exacerbate symptom severity, and specific maladaptive personality dimensions may produce a liability towards extremes in chronotype. Pilot studies suggest intervention may be beneficial, but development is limited. Endogenous and exogenous circadian rhythm disturbances appear to be common in BPD. The interface between psychiatry and chronobiology has led previously to novel efficacious strategies for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. We believe that better characterisation of the circadian phenotype in BPD will lead to a directed biological target for treatment in a condition where there is a regrettable paucity of accessible therapies.

Understanding the Relationship Between Sleep Problems in Early Childhood and Borderline Personality Disorder: A Narrative Review

OBJECTIVE

Recent research indicates that sleep problems in childhood precede the development of borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms, but the mechanisms by which sleep problems associate with BPD are still unknown. This narrative review aims to provide some potential explanations for how early sleep problems might associate with BPD.

METHODS

We used the biosocial developmental model of BPD as a framework to discuss how sleep problems may associate with BPD. Articles were identified via PubMed and Embase, and papers published between January 1991 and April 2021 were extracted. Authors made a series of literature searches using the following keywords: Sleep problems, Insomnia, Nightmares, Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA), Prefrontal Cortex, Family Psychopathology, Disrupted Attachment, Child Maltreatment, Impulsivity, Emotion Regulation, Internalizing, Externalizing, Rumination, Childhood, Adolescence, Young people. The inclusion criteria were published in peer-reviewed journals; human studies or reviews; published in English. The exclusion criteria were commentaries; abstracts from conferences; studies with animal samples. A total of 96 articles were included for the purpose of this review.

RESULTS

The evidence from this review suggests that some biological factors and core features of BPD act as potential mechanisms mediating the associations between early sleep and subsequent BPD, while some family-related factors might constitute common risk factors for sleep problems and BPD.

CONCLUSION

The biosocial developmental model of BPD provides a plausible characterization of how sleep disruption might lead to subsequent BPD. Further research on new developmental and early intervention approaches to understand how sleep in early stages associates with BPD could have significant clinical impact on these patients and could inform targeted therapeutic interventions.

Association of Parent-Reported Sleep Problems in Early Childhood With Psychotic and Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms in Adolescence

IMPORTANCE

Persistent nightmares in childhood have been prospectively associated with psychosis and borderline personality disorder (BPD) in adolescence. However, the extent to which this association is also true for behavioral sleep problems is still unknown, and the potential mechanisms are unexplored.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the prospective associations between several parent-reported sleep problems in early childhood and psychotic and BPD symptoms at 11 to 13 years of age and the potential mediation of the associations by depression at 10 years of age.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cohort study assessed 13 488 participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children birth cohort who were followed up for more than 13 years. Pregnant women from Avon, United Kingdom, with expected dates of delivery from April 1, 1991, to December 31, 1992, were invited to take part in the study. Data analysis was conducted from May 1 to December 31, 2019.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Psychotic experiences at 12 to 13 years of age were assessed using the Psychosis-Like Symptom Interview, and BPD symptoms at 11 to 12 years of age were tested using the UK Childhood Interview for DSM-IV Borderline Personality Disorder. Parent-reported nighttime sleep duration, night awakening frequency, bedtime, and regularity of sleep routines were assessed when the child was 6, 18, and 30 months and 3.5, 4.8, and 5.8 years of age.

RESULTS

Data were available on 7155 participants (3718 girls [52%]) who reported on BPD symptoms and 6333 (3280 boys [52%]) who reported on BPD symptoms. Higher night awakening frequency at 18 months of age (odds ratio [OR], 1.13; 95% CI, 1.01-1.26) and less regular sleep routines at 6 months (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.50-0.93), 30 months (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.44-0.95), and 5.8 years (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.19-0.53) of age were significantly associated with psychotic experiences in adolescence, whereas shorter nighttime sleep duration (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.66-0.92) and later bedtime at 3.5 years of age (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.09-1.60) were significantly associated with BPD symptoms. Results of mediation analysis were consistent with all these associations, except for later bedtime at 3.5 years and BPD in adolescence, which had no association. Depression at 10 years of age mediated the associations between frequent night awakenings at 18 months of age (bias-corrected estimate, -0.005; 95% CI, -0.008 to -0.002; P = .002) and irregular sleep routines at 5.8 years of age (bias-corrected estimate, -0.006; 95% CI, -0.010 to -0.003; P = .003) with psychosis.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The findings suggest that some behavioral sleep problems in childhood are distinctively associated with the onset of psychosis and BPD in adolescence, following different pathways. Furthermore, depression at 10 years of age may mediate only the association with psychosis. These findings contribute to the design of more personalized interventions in psychosis and BPD.

Nightmare experience and personality disorder functioning styles in healthy volunteers and nightmare disorder patients

Nightmares are prevalent in psychiatric disorders, and personality disorder features might be associated with nightmare experience, especially in nightmare disorder patients. The authors invited 219 healthy volunteers and 118 nightmare disorder patients to undergo tests of the Nightmare Experience Questionnaire (NEQ), the Parker Personality Measure (PERM), and the Plutchik-van Praag Depression Inventory. Compared to healthy volunteers, nightmare disorder patients scored significantly higher on annual nightmare frequency and NEQ Physical Effect, Negative Emotion, Meaning Interpretation, and Horrible Stimulation, and higher on PERM Paranoid, Schizotypal, Borderline, Histrionic, Narcissistic, Avoidant, and Dependent styles. Borderline, Schizotypal, and Passive-Aggressive styles in healthy volunteers and Dependent, Avoidant, Histrionic, and Paranoid in patients were significant predictors of some NEQ scales. Higher annual nightmare frequency, higher scale scores of nightmare experience and personality disorder styles, and more associations between the two were found in nightmare disorder patients, implying the need for personality-adjustment therapy for nightmare disorder.

Adolescent Sleep Disturbance, Emotion Regulation and Borderline Features in an Inpatient Setting

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to examine the relation between sleep disturbance, emotion dysregulation and borderline personality features in adolescent inpatients.

METHOD

N = 217 adolescents (67.1% female; ages 12-17) with the following racial/ethnic breakdown: 67.4% White, 3.7% Hispanic, 2.8% Asian, 1.8% African American, and 6.4% multiracial) completed self-report measures of sleep disturbance, emotion dysregulation and borderline personality symptoms at admission to, discharge from, and at 6-months-post discharge from an inpatient psychiatric hospital. Group comparison and path analyses were conducted to examine differences in sleep disturbance between those with and without borderline personality disorder and the mediating role of emotion dysregulation in the relation between sleep disturbance and borderline personality features.

RESULTS

Borderline personality features and emotion dysregulation were significantly related to indices of sleep disturbance. Path models revealed that some sleep disturbance indices at admission directly predicted levels of borderline features at discharge and at 6-months-post-discharge. However, none of the indirect pathways between sleep disturbance at admission, emotion dysregulation at discharge, and borderline features at discharge or 6-months post-discharge were significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings are consistent with prior literature which suggest that a unique relation exists between sleep disturbance and BPD, beyond comorbid depression symptoms. However, contrary to our hypotheses, the current study did not provide empirical support for the mediating role of emotion regulation in this relation. These findings have implications for existing personality disorder and sleep interventions and suggest further research into the mechanisms underlying the relation between sleep disturbance and borderline personality pathology is necessary.

Actigraphic patterns, impulsivity and mood instability in bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder and healthy controls

OBJECTIVES

To differentiate the relation between the structure and timing of rest-activity patterns and symptoms of impulsivity and mood instability in bipolar disorder (BD), borderline personality disorder (BPD) and healthy controls (HC).

METHODS

Eighty-seven participants (31 BD, 21 BPD and 35 HC) underwent actigraph monitoring for 28 days as part of the Automated Monitoring of Symptom Severity (AMoSS) study. Impulsivity was assessed at study entry using the BIS-11. Mood instability was subsequently longitudinally monitored using the digital Mood Zoom questionnaire.

RESULTS

BPD participants show several robust and significant correlations between non-parametric circadian rest-activity variables and worsened symptoms. Impulsivity was associated with low interdaily stability (r = -0.663) and weak amplitude (r = -0.616). Mood instability was associated with low interdaily stability (r = -0.773), greater rhythm fragmentation (r = 0.662), weak amplitude (r = -0.694) and later onset of daily activity (r = 0.553). These associations were not present for BD or HCs. Classification analysis using actigraphic measures determined that later L5 onset reliably distinguished BPD from BD and HC but did not sufficiently discriminate between BD and HC.

CONCLUSIONS

Rest-activity pattern disturbance indicative of perturbed sleep and circadian function is an important predictor of symptom severity in BPD. This appears to validate the greater subjective complaints of BPD individuals that are sometimes regarded as exaggerated by clinicians. We suggest that treatment strategies directed towards improving sleep and circadian entrainment may in the future be investigated in BPD.

Pathoetiology and pathophysiology of borderline personality: Role of prenatal factors, gut microbiome, mu- and kappa-opioid receptors in amygdala-PFC interactions

The pathoetiology and pathophysiology of borderline personality disorder (BPD) have been relatively under-explored. Consequently, no targetted pharmaceutical treatments or preventative interventions are available. The current article reviews the available data on the biological underpinnings of BPD, highlighting a role for early developmental processes, including prenatal stress and maternal dysbiosis, in BPD pathoetiology. Such factors are proposed to drive alterations in the infant's gut microbiome, in turn modulating amygdala development and the amygdala's two-way interactions with other brain regions. Alterations in opioidergic activity, including variations in the ratio of the mu-and kappa-opioid receptors seem a significant aspect of BPD pathophysiology, contributing to its comorbidities with depression, anxiety, impulsivity and addiction. Stress and dysphoria are commonly experienced in people classed with BPD. A growing body of data, across a host of medical conditions, indicate that stress and mood dysregulation may be intimately associated with gut dysbiosis and increased gut permeability, coupled to heightened levels of oxidative stress and immune-inflammatory activity. It urgently requires investigation as to the relevance of such gut changes in the course of BPD symptomatology. Accumulating data indicates that BPD symptom exacerbations may be linked to cyclical variations in estrogen, in turn decreasing serotonin and local melatonin synthesis, and thereby overlapping with the pathophysiology of migraine and endometriosis, which also have a heightened association with BPD. Future research directions and treatment implications are indicated.

Insomnia in personality disorders and substance use disorders

The relationship between certain personality disorders (PDs) and insomnia has been the object of few studies in recent years. Even though it is not indicated to use polysomnography to diagnose insomnia, objective measures have shown sleep abnormalities in individuals with a personality disorder and insomnia. Interestingly, there is increasing evidence that emotion dysregulation is involved in a mutually aggravating relationship between Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and insomnia. While BPD traits are highly associated with suicide ideation and attempts, these behaviors could be potentiated or enhanced in individuals presenting sleep disturbances. Because BPD and other mental disorders are often linked with the use of medication or other substances, it is also important to review the association between substance use disorders (SUD) and insomnia. SUD can disrupt sleep and foster insomnia, which in turn might increase motivation to use substances. Insomnia has also been shown to precede (i.e., predict) SUD, and can be present during withdrawal as well. These results highlight the need to assess and treat insomnia when working with patients who present a PD or SUD.

Borderline Personality Disorder in Patients With Medical Illness: A Review of Assessment, Prevalence, and Treatment Options

OBJECTIVE

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) occurs in 0.7% to 3.5% of the general population. Patients with BPD experience excessive comorbidity of psychiatric and somatic diseases and are known to be high users of health care services. Because of a range of challenges related to adverse health behaviors and their interpersonal style, patients with BPD are often regarded as "difficult" to interact with and treat optimally.

METHODS

This narrative review focuses on epidemiological studies on BPD and its comorbidity with a specific focus on somatic illness. Empirically validated treatments are summarized, and implementation of specific treatment models is discussed.

RESULTS

The prevalence of BPD among psychiatric inpatients (9%-14%) and outpatients (12%-18%) is high; medical service use is very frequent, annual societal costs vary between &OV0556;11,000 and &OV0556;28,000. BPD is associated with cardiovascular diseases and stroke, metabolic disease including diabetes and obesity, gastrointestinal disease, arthritis and chronic pain, venereal diseases, and HIV infection as well as sleep disorders. Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice for BPD. Several manualized treatments for BPD have been empirically validated, including dialectical behavior therapy, transference-focused psychotherapy, mentalization-based therapy, and schema-focused therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Health care could be substantially improved if all medical specialties would be familiar with BPD, its pathology, medical and psychiatric comorbidities, complications, and treatment. In mental health care, several empirically validated treatments that are applicable in a wide range of clinical settings are available.

Circadian rest-activity patterns in bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder

Bipolar disorder (BD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) are two psychiatric disorders with overlapping features that can be challenging to separate diagnostically. Growing evidence suggests that circadian rhythm disturbances are associated with psychiatric illness, however circadian patterns of behaviour have not been elucidated in BPD or differentiated from BD. This study compared the circadian structure and timing of rest-activity patterns in BPD with BD and healthy volunteers. Participants with BD (N = 31) and BPD (N = 21) and healthy controls (HC, N = 35) wore an actigraph on their non-dominant wrist for 28 day periods as part of the Automated Monitoring of Symptom Severity (AMoSS) study. Non-parametric circadian rhythm analysis of rest-activity patterns and cosinor analysis of distal temperature rhythms were conducted to elucidate circadian function between groups. Covariates controlled for included employment status, BMI and gender. Compared with HC and BD, individuals with BPD showed significantly delayed phase of night-time rest patterns ("L5 onset") (mean difference = 1:47 h, P < 0.001; mean difference = 1:38 h, P = 0.009, respectively), and relative to HC showed delayed daytime activity onset ("M10 onset") (mean difference = 2:13 h, P = 0.048) and delayed temperature phase (mean difference = 1:22 h, P = 0.034). These findings suggest that delayed circadian function may be a clinically important phenotype in individuals with BPD. Future work should interrogate the causality of this association and examine interventions which target delayed circadian function in the treatment of BPD.

Desynchronization of diurnal rhythms in bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder

It has long been proposed that diurnal rhythms are disturbed in bipolar disorder (BD). Such changes are obvious in episodes of mania or depression. However, detailed study of patients between episodes has been rare and comparison with other psychiatric disorders rarer still. Our hypothesis was that evidence for desynchronization of diurnal rhythms would be evident in BD and that we could test the specificity of any effect by studying borderline personality disorder (BPD). Individuals with BD (n = 36), BPD (n = 22) and healthy volunteers (HC, n = 25) wore a portable heart rate and actigraphy device and used a smart-phone to record self-assessed mood scores 10 times per day for 1 week. Average diurnal patterns of heart rate (HR), activity and sleep were compared within and across groups. Desynchronization in the phase of diurnal rhythms of HR compared with activity were found in BPD (+3 h) and BD (+1 h), but not in HC. A clear diurnal pattern for positive mood was found in all subject groups. The coherence between negative and irritable mood and HR showed a four-cycle per day component in BD and BPD, which was not present in HC. The findings highlight marked de-synchronisation of measured diurnal function in both BD but particularly BPD and suggest an increased association with negative and irritable mood at ultradian frequencies. These findings enhance our understanding of the underlying physiological changes associated with BPD and BD, and suggest objective markers for monitoring and potential treatment targets. Improved mood stabilisation is a translational objective for management of both patient groups.

Insomnia and hypersomnia in major depressive episode: Prevalence, sociodemographic characteristics and psychiatric comorbidity in a population-based study

OBJECTIVES

To examine (i) the frequency of different sleep complaints (early wake-up, trouble falling asleep, hypersomnia) and their co-occurrence and (ii) the sociodemographic characteristics and psychiatric comorbidity associated with each type of sleep profiles.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the Wave 2 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, a nationally representative survey of the US adult population (wave 1, 2001-2002; wave 2, 2004-2005). The primary analyses were limited to 3573 participants who had a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of major depressive episode (MDE) between the two waves. We used a multiple regression model to estimate the strength of independent associations between self-reported sleep complaints, sociodemographic characteristics and lifetime psychiatric comorbidity.

RESULTS

Most of participants with MDE (92%) reported significant sleep complaints, from whom 85.2% had insomnia and 47.5% hypersomnia symptoms. The prevalence rates were for insomnia "only" of 48.5%, hypersomnia "only" of 13.7%, and their co-occurrence of 30.2%. We found that several sociodemographic characteristics (gender, age, education, individual and familial income, marital status) and psychiatric disorders (bipolar disorders, post-traumatic disorders and panic disorder) were significantly and independently associated with different sleep profiles. The co-occurrence of insomnia (especially early wake-up) and hypersomnia presented with a two-/three- fold increase risk of bipolar disorders.

LIMITATIONS

Definitions of sleep complaints were qualitative and subjective.

CONCLUSION

Sleep complaints are prevalent and heterogeneous in expression during MDE. Sleep disturbance profiles are associated with specific patterns of comorbidity. Our findings highlight the importance of continued research on sleep complaints during MDE while taking into account psychiatric comorbidity.