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Camacho-Téllez V, Castro MN, Wainsztein AE, Goldberg X, De Pino G, Costanzo EY, Cardoner N, Menchón JM, Soriano-Mas C, Guinjoan SM, Villarreal MF. Childhood adversity modulates structural brain changes in borderline personality but not in major depression disorder. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2024; 340:111803. [PMID: 38460393 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2024.111803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) negatively affect the function and structure of emotion brain circuits, increasing the risk of various psychiatric disorders. It is unclear if ACEs show disorder specificity with respect to their effects on brain structure. We aimed to investigate whether the structural brain effects of ACEs differ between patients with major depression (MDD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD). These disorders share many symptoms but likely have different etiologies. To achieve our goal, we obtained structural 3T-MRI images from 20 healthy controls (HC), 19 MDD patients, and 18 BPD patients, and measured cortical thickness and subcortical gray matter volumes. We utilized the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) questionnaire to quantify self-reported exposure to childhood trauma. Our findings suggest that individuals with MDD exhibit a smaller cortical thickness when compared to those with BPD. However, ACEs showed a significantly affected relationship with cortical thickness in BPD but not in MDD. ACEs were found to be associated with thinning in cortical regions involved in emotional behavior in BPD, whereas HC showed an opposite association. Our results suggest a potential mechanism of ACE effects on psychopathology involving changes in brain structure. These findings highlight the importance of early detection and intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicente Camacho-Téllez
- Grupo de Investigación en Neurociencias Aplicadas a las Alteraciones de la Conducta (Grupo INAAC), Instituto de Neurociencias Fleni-CONICET (INEU), Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; Departamento de Salud Mental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina
| | - Mariana N Castro
- Grupo de Investigación en Neurociencias Aplicadas a las Alteraciones de la Conducta (Grupo INAAC), Instituto de Neurociencias Fleni-CONICET (INEU), Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; Departamento de Salud Mental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina.
| | - Agustina E Wainsztein
- Grupo de Investigación en Neurociencias Aplicadas a las Alteraciones de la Conducta (Grupo INAAC), Instituto de Neurociencias Fleni-CONICET (INEU), Argentina; Servicio de Psiquiatría, Fleni, Argentina
| | - Ximena Goldberg
- Mental Health Department, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí I3PT, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Sabadell, Spain; CIBERSAM, Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain; ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gabriela De Pino
- Grupo de Investigación en Neurociencias Aplicadas a las Alteraciones de la Conducta (Grupo INAAC), Instituto de Neurociencias Fleni-CONICET (INEU), Argentina; Laboratorio de Neuroimágenes, Departamento de Imágenes, Fleni, Argentina; Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Argentina
| | - Elsa Y Costanzo
- Departamento de Salud Mental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina; Servicio de Psiquiatría, Fleni, Argentina
| | - Narcís Cardoner
- CIBERSAM, Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain; Sant Pau Mental Health Research Group, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine Bellaterra, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José M Menchón
- CIBERSAM, Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain; Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Clinical Sciences, Bellvitge Campus, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Soriano-Mas
- CIBERSAM, Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain; Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salvador M Guinjoan
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma University, and Oxley College, Tulsa University, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Mirta F Villarreal
- Grupo de Investigación en Neurociencias Aplicadas a las Alteraciones de la Conducta (Grupo INAAC), Instituto de Neurociencias Fleni-CONICET (INEU), Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, UBA, Argentina
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Lisoni J, Nibbio G, Baldacci G, Cicale A, Zucchetti A, Bertoni L, Calzavara Pinton I, Necchini N, Deste G, Barlati S, Vita A. What impact can brain stimulation interventions have on borderline personality disorder? Expert Rev Neurother 2024; 24:343-360. [PMID: 38349069 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2024.2316133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe mental disorder characterized by emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, neuropsychological impairment, and interpersonal instability, presenting with multiple psychiatric comorbidities, functional disability and reduced life expectancy due suicidal behaviors. AREAS COVERED In this perspective, the authors explore the application of noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) (rTMS, tDCS, and MST) in BPD individuals by considering a symptom-based approach, focusing on general BPD psychopathology, impulsivity and neuropsychological impairments, suicidality and depressive/anxious symptoms, and emotion dysregulation. EXPERT OPINION According to a symptoms-based approach, NIBS interventions (particularly rTMS and tDCS) are promising treatment options for BPD individuals improving core symptoms such as emotional and behavioral dysregulation, neuropsychological impairments and depressive symptoms. However, the heterogeneity of stimulation protocols and of assessment tools used to detect these changes limits the possibility to provide definitive recommendations according to a symptom-based approach. To implement such armamentarium in clinical practice, future NIIBS studies should further consider a lifespan perspective due to clinical variability over time, the role of psychiatric comorbidities affecting BPD individuals and the need to combine NIBS with specialized psychotherapeutic approaches for BPD patients and with functional neuroimaging studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Lisoni
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Gabriele Nibbio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giulia Baldacci
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Andrea Cicale
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Andrea Zucchetti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Bertoni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Nicola Necchini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giacomo Deste
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Stefano Barlati
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonio Vita
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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Catanzaro MJ, Rizzo S, Kopchick J, Chowdury A, Rosenberg DR, Bubenik P, Diwadkar VA. Topological Data Analysis Captures Task-Driven fMRI Profiles in Individual Participants: A Classification Pipeline Based on Persistence. Neuroinformatics 2024; 22:45-62. [PMID: 37924429 DOI: 10.1007/s12021-023-09645-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
BOLD-based fMRI is the most widely used method for studying brain function. The BOLD signal while valuable, is beset with unique vulnerabilities. The most notable of these is the modest signal to noise ratio, and the relatively low temporal and spatial resolution. However, the high dimensional complexity of the BOLD signal also presents unique opportunities for functional discovery. Topological Data Analyses (TDA), a branch of mathematics optimized to search for specific classes of structure within high dimensional data may provide particularly valuable applications. In this investigation, we acquired fMRI data in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) using a basic motor control paradigm. Then, for each participant and each of three task conditions, fMRI signals in the ACC were summarized using two methods: a) TDA based methods of persistent homology and persistence landscapes and b) non-TDA based methods using a standard vectorization scheme. Finally, using machine learning (with support vector classifiers), classification accuracy of TDA and non-TDA vectorized data was tested across participants. In each participant, TDA-based classification out-performed the non-TDA based counterpart, suggesting that our TDA analytic pipeline better characterized task- and condition-induced structure in fMRI data in the ACC. Our results emphasize the value of TDA in characterizing task- and condition-induced structure in regional fMRI signals. In addition to providing our analytical tools for other users to emulate, we also discuss the unique role that TDA-based methods can play in the study of individual differences in the structure of functional brain signals in the healthy and the clinical brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Catanzaro
- Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
- Geometric Data Analytics, 343 West Main Street, Durham, NC, 27701, USA.
| | - Sam Rizzo
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - John Kopchick
- Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
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Kolla NJ, Tully J, Bertsch K. Neural correlates of aggression in personality disorders from the perspective of DSM-5 maladaptive traits: a systematic review. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:330. [PMID: 37884552 PMCID: PMC10603082 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02612-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published in 2013, includes an alternative model of personality disorders (AMPD) focusing on a maladaptive trait model utilized to diagnose several personality disorders. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) are two conditions categorized by AMPD that exhibit high rates of violence and aggression. Several of the traits outlined in the AMPD, including hostility, impulsivity, risk-taking, and callousness, have been previously linked to aggression in BPD and ASPD. However, to the best of our knowledge, there has never been a synthesis of neuroimaging studies that have investigated links between these traits and aggression in BPD and ASPD. To overcome this gap, we conducted a systematic review under the PRISMA framework to locate neuroimaging articles published since the release of AMPD linking trait anger/hostility, impulsivity, risk-taking, and callousness to aggression in BPD and ASPD. Key findings included the following: i) anger/hostility, associated with alterations in the interplay between prefrontal and subcortical regions (primarily the amygdala), may be a common factor explaining aggressive reactions to response to interpersonal threat or provocation; ii) alterations of fronto-temporal-limbic regions and serotonergic and endocannabinoid signaling systems may link impulsivity to aggression in BPD and ASPD; iii) weaker cortico-striatal connectivity could relate to greater risk taking and greater proclivity for violence. Insufficient evidence from neuroimaging articles was discerned to describe a relationship between callousness and aggression. Overall, results of this review reveal a relative paucity of neuroimaging studies examining AMPD traits relevant to aggression in BPD and ASPD. In addition to encouraging further investigation of neuroimaging markers of AMPD traits linked to aggression, we recommend multi-methodological designs, including the incorporation of other biomarkers, such as hormones and indices of physiological arousal, to fully expand our understanding of aggression in BPD and ASPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J Kolla
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
| | - John Tully
- Academic Unit of Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
- NeuroImagine Core Unit Munich (NICUM), University Hospital LMU, Munich, Germany
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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5
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Reinsberg C, Schecklmann M, Abdelnaim MA, Weber FC, Langguth B, Hebel T. Treatment of depression and borderline personality disorder with 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the orbitofrontal cortex - A pilot study. World J Biol Psychiatry 2023; 24:595-602. [PMID: 36920303 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2023.2186484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterised by impairments in emotional regulation, impulse control and interpersonal interaction. Comorbid depression is common. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) plays a crucial role in the biological substrate of BPD. We investigated the effects of 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) targeting the OFC on depressive symptoms and symptoms of BPD in 15 patients suffering from both conditions to assess feasibility and effectiveness. Target treatment intensity was 120% of resting motor threshold (RMT) and intended duration four weeks. Treatment improved both symptoms of depression as measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and of BPD as measured by Borderline Symptom List-23 and Barratt Impulsivity Scale. Drop-out rates were high with 7/15 patients not completing the full course of rTMS, but only two drop-outs were related to treatment. Only a minority of patients tolerated target treatment intensity. Despite the limitations, the results suggest efficacy of treatment and welcome further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Reinsberg
- University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - M Schecklmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - M A Abdelnaim
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - F C Weber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - B Langguth
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - T Hebel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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Moukaddam N, Lamichhane B, Salas R, Goodman W, Sabharwal A. Modeling Suicidality with Multimodal Impulsivity Characterization in Participants with Mental Health Disorder. Behav Neurol 2023; 2023:8552180. [PMID: 37575401 PMCID: PMC10423091 DOI: 10.1155/2023/8552180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Suicide is one of the leading causes of death across different age groups. The persistence of suicidal ideation and the progression of suicidal ideations to action could be related to impulsivity, the tendency to act on urges with low temporal latency, and little forethought. Quantifying impulsivity could thus help suicidality estimation and risk assessments in ideation-to-action suicidality frameworks. Methods To model suicidality with impulsivity quantification, we obtained questionnaires, behavioral tests, heart rate variability (HRV), and resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging measurements from 34 participants with mood disorders. The participants were categorized into three suicidality groups based on their Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview: none, low, and moderate to severe. Results Questionnaire and HRV-based impulsivity measures were significantly different between the suicidality groups with higher subscales of impulsivity associated with higher suicidality. A multimodal system to characterize impulsivity objectively resulted in a classification accuracy of 96.77% in the three-class suicidality group prediction task. Conclusions This study elucidates the relative sensitivity of various impulsivity measures in differentiating participants with suicidality and demonstrates suicidality prediction with high accuracy using a multimodal objective impulsivity characterization in participants with mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidal Moukaddam
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bishal Lamichhane
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ramiro Salas
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- The Menninger Clinic, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Translational Research on Inflammatory Diseases, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wayne Goodman
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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Albermann M, Emery S, Baumgartner N, Strumberger M, Erb S, Wöckel L, Müller-Knapp U, Rhiner B, Contin-Waldvogel B, Bachmann S, Schmeck K, Berger G, Häberling I. Executive functions and borderline personality features in adolescents with major depressive disorder. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:957753. [PMID: 37425294 PMCID: PMC10325791 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.957753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Executive functions (EF) consolidate during adolescence and are impaired in various emerging psychiatric disorders, such as pediatric Major Depressive Disorder (pMDD) and Borderline Personality Disorder. Previous studies point to a marked heterogeneity of deficits in EF in pMDD. We examined the hypothesis that deficits in EF in adolescents with pMDD might be related to comorbid Borderline Personality features (BPF). Methods We examined a sample of 144 adolescents (15.86 ± 1.32) diagnosed with pMDD. Parents rated their child's EF in everyday life with the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and BPF with the Impulsivity and Emotion Dysregulation Scale (IED-27). The adolescents completed equivalent self-rating measures. Self- and parent-ratings of the BRIEF scores were compared with paired t-Tests. Correlation and parallel mediation analyses, ICC, and multiple regression analyses were used to assess symptom overlap, parent-child agreement, and the influence of depression severity. Results Over the whole sample, none of the self- or parent-rated BRIEF scales reached a mean score above T > 65, which would indicate clinically impaired functioning. Adolescents tended to report higher impairment in EF than their parents. Depression severity was the strongest predictor for BPF scores, with Emotional Control predicting parent-rated BPF and Inhibit predicting self-rated BPF. Furthermore, the Behavioral Regulation Index, which includes EF closely related to behavioral control, significantly mediated the relationship between depression severity and IED-27 factors emotional dysregulation and relationship difficulties but not non-suicidal self-injuries. Conclusion On average, adolescents with depression show only subtle deficits in executive functioning. However, increased EF deficits are associated with the occurrence of comorbid borderline personality features, contributing to a more severe overall psychopathology. Therefore, training of executive functioning might have a positive effect on psychosocial functioning in severely depressed adolescents, as it might also improve comorbid BPF. Clinical trial registration www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT03167307.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Albermann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sophie Emery
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Michael Strumberger
- Research Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospitals Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Suzanne Erb
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Lars Wöckel
- Research Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospitals Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Clienia Littenheid AG, Littenheid, Switzerland
| | | | - Bruno Rhiner
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Thurgau, Weinfelden, Switzerland
| | | | - Silke Bachmann
- University Clinic of the Martin-Luther University Halle – Wittenberg’s Medical Faculty, Halle, Germany
- Département de Psychiatrie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Klaus Schmeck
- Research Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospitals Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gregor Berger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Häberling
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
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Lisoni J, Barlati S, Deste G, Ceraso A, Nibbio G, Baldacci G, Vita A. Efficacy and tolerability of Brain Stimulation interventions in Borderline Personality Disorder: state of the art and future perspectives - A systematic review. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 116:110537. [PMID: 35176417 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Treating Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a major challenge for psychiatrists. As Brain Stimulation represents an alternative approach to treat psychiatric disorders, our systematic review is the first to focus on both invasive and Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) interventions in people living with BPD, examining clinical effects over core features and comorbid conditions. Following PRISMA guidelines, out of 422 original records, 24 papers were included regarding Deep Brain Stimulation (n = 1), Electroconvulsive therapy (n = 5), Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (n = 13) and transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (n = 5). According to impulsivity and emotional dysregulated domain improvements, NIBS in BPD appears to restore frontolimbic network deficiencies. NIBS seems also to modulate depressive features. Safety and tolerability profiles for each technique are discussed. Despite encouraging results, definitive recommendations on Brain Stimulation in BPD are mitigated by protocols heterogeneity, lack of randomized controlled trials and poor quality of included studies, including high risk of methodological biases. To serve as guide for future systematic investigations, protocols optimization proposals are provided, focusing on alternative stimulation sites and suggesting a NIBS symptom-based approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Lisoni
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Stefano Barlati
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy; Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Giacomo Deste
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Anna Ceraso
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy; Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Gabriele Nibbio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Giulia Baldacci
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonio Vita
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy; Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
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9
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Drachman R, Colic L, Sankar A, Spencer L, Goldman DA, Villa LM, Kim JA, Oquendo MA, Pittman B, Blumberg HP. Rethinking "aggression" and impulsivity in bipolar disorder: Risk, clinical and brain circuitry features. J Affect Disord 2022; 303:331-339. [PMID: 35181384 PMCID: PMC9109470 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.02.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Elevated aggression and impulsivity are implicated in Bipolar Disorder (BD); however, relationships between these behavioral constructs have not been clarified, which can lead to misconceptions with negative consequences including stigma and adverse outcomes including suicide. The study aimed to clarify brain-based distinctions between the two constructs and their associations to risk factors, symptoms and suicide thoughts and behaviors. METHODS Self-rated Brown-Goodwin Aggression (BGA) and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) scores were compared between adults with BD (n = 38, 74% female) and healthy controls (HC, n = 29, 64% female). Relationships were examined between BGA and BIS with childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ), mood, comorbidities, and magnetic resonance imaging gray matter volume (GMV) assessments. RESULTS In BD, BGA and BIS total scores were both elevated and associated with childhood maltreatment (CM), particularly emotional CM, depression, substance use disorders (SUDs) and suicide attempts (SAs). BGA scores were increased by items corresponding to dysregulation of emotional and social behavior and associated with elevated mood states and suicide ideation and GMV decreases in bilateral orbitofrontal cortex and left posterior insula brain regions, previously associated with these behaviors and clinical features. BIS motor impulsiveness scores were associated with GMV decreases in anterior cingulate cortex implicated in mood and behavioral dyscontrol. LIMITATIONS modest sample size, self-reports CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest separable brain-based domains of dysfunction in BD of motor impulsiveness versus emotionally dysregulated feelings that are primarily self-directed. Both domains are associated with suicide behavior and modifiable risk factors of CM, depression and SUDs that could be targeted for prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Drachman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 60 Temple Street, Suite 6B, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Lejla Colic
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 60 Temple Street, Suite 6B, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Anjali Sankar
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 60 Temple Street, Suite 6B, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Linda Spencer
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 60 Temple Street, Suite 6B, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Danielle A Goldman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 60 Temple Street, Suite 6B, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Luca M Villa
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 60 Temple Street, Suite 6B, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Jihoon A Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 60 Temple Street, Suite 6B, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Maria A Oquendo
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brian Pittman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 60 Temple Street, Suite 6B, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Hilary P Blumberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 60 Temple Street, Suite 6B, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
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10
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Chu J, Zheng K, Yi J. Aggression in borderline personality disorder: A systematic review of neuroimaging studies. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 113:110472. [PMID: 34742774 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Aggressive behaviors are prevalent among patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Neuroimaging studies have linked aggression in BPD patients to neurochemical, structural, functional, and metabolic alterations in various brain regions, especially in frontal-limbic areas. This systematic review summarizes current neuroimaging results on aggression among BPD patients and provides an overview of relevant brain mechanisms. A systematic search of PubMed and Web of Science databases, in addition to manual check of references, identified thirty-two eligible articles, including two magnetic resonance spectrum (MRS), thirteen structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI), six functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and eleven positron emission tomography (PET) studies. The reviewed studies have highlighted the abnormalities in prefrontal cortices and limbic structures including amygdala and hippocampus. Less studies have zoomed in the roles of parietal and temporal regions or taken a network perspective. Connectivity studies have shed light on the importance of the frontal-limbic interactions in regulating aggression. Conflicted findings might be attributed to disparity in controlling gender, anatomical subdivisions, and comorbidities, which shall be considered in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Chu
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Kaili Zheng
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jinyao Yi
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha 410011, China.
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11
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Grecucci A, Lapomarda G, Messina I, Monachesi B, Sorella S, Siugzdaite R. Structural Features Related to Affective Instability Correctly Classify Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder. A Supervised Machine Learning Approach. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:804440. [PMID: 35295769 PMCID: PMC8918568 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.804440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous morphometric studies of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) reported inconsistent alterations in cortical and subcortical areas. However, these studies have investigated the brain at the voxel level using mass univariate methods or region of interest approaches, which are subject to several artifacts and do not enable detection of more complex patterns of structural alterations that may separate BPD from other clinical populations and healthy controls (HC). Multiple Kernel Learning (MKL) is a whole-brain multivariate supervised machine learning method able to classify individuals and predict an objective diagnosis based on structural features. As such, this method can help identifying objective biomarkers related to BPD pathophysiology and predict new cases. To this aim, we applied MKL to structural images of patients with BPD and matched HCs. Moreover, to ensure that results are specific for BPD and not for general psychological disorders, we also applied MKL to BPD against a group of patients with bipolar disorder, for their similarities in affective instability. Results showed that a circuit, including basal ganglia, amygdala, and portions of the temporal lobes and of the orbitofrontal cortex, correctly classified BPD against HC (80%). Notably, this circuit positively correlates with the affective sector of the Zanarini questionnaire, thus indicating an involvement of this circuit with affective disturbances. Moreover, by contrasting BPD with BD, the spurious regions were excluded, and a specific circuit for BPD was outlined. These results support that BPD is characterized by anomalies in a cortico-subcortical circuit related to affective instability and that this circuit discriminates BPD from controls and from other clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Grecucci
- Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences (DiPSCo), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Center for Medical Sciences - CISMed, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Gaia Lapomarda
- Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences (DiPSCo), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Science Division, New York University of Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Irene Messina
- Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences (DiPSCo), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Universitas Mercatorum, Rome, Italy
| | - Bianca Monachesi
- Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences (DiPSCo), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Sara Sorella
- Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences (DiPSCo), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Roma Siugzdaite
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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12
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Kelly JR, Gillan CM, Prenderville J, Kelly C, Harkin A, Clarke G, O'Keane V. Psychedelic Therapy's Transdiagnostic Effects: A Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Perspective. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:800072. [PMID: 34975593 PMCID: PMC8718877 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.800072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating clinical evidence shows that psychedelic therapy, by synergistically combining psychopharmacology and psychological support, offers a promising transdiagnostic treatment strategy for a range of disorders with restricted and/or maladaptive habitual patterns of emotion, cognition and behavior, notably, depression (MDD), treatment resistant depression (TRD) and addiction disorders, but perhaps also anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and eating disorders. Despite the emergent transdiagnostic evidence, the specific clinical dimensions that psychedelics are efficacious for, and associated underlying neurobiological pathways, remain to be well-characterized. To this end, this review focuses on pre-clinical and clinical evidence of the acute and sustained therapeutic potential of psychedelic therapy in the context of a transdiagnostic dimensional systems framework. Focusing on the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) as a template, we will describe the multimodal mechanisms underlying the transdiagnostic therapeutic effects of psychedelic therapy, traversing molecular, cellular and network levels. These levels will be mapped to the RDoC constructs of negative and positive valence systems, arousal regulation, social processing, cognitive and sensorimotor systems. In summarizing this literature and framing it transdiagnostically, we hope we can assist the field in moving toward a mechanistic understanding of how psychedelics work for patients and eventually toward a precise-personalized psychedelic therapy paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R. Kelly
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Psychiatry, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Claire M. Gillan
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Psychology, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jack Prenderville
- Transpharmation Ireland Ltd, Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- Discipline of Physiology, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Clare Kelly
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Psychology, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Andrew Harkin
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gerard Clarke
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Veronica O'Keane
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Psychiatry, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
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13
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Closing the gap: unmet needs of individuals with impulsive aggressive behavior observed in children and adolescents. CNS Spectr 2021; 26:448-456. [PMID: 32228725 DOI: 10.1017/s1092852920001224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Impulsive aggressive (IA, or impulsive aggression) behavior describes an aggregate set of maladaptive, aggressive behaviors occurring across multiple neuropsychiatric disorders. IA is reactive, eruptive, sudden, and unplanned; it provides information about the severity, but not the nature, of its associated primary disorder. IA in children and adolescents is of serious clinical concern for patients, families, and physicians, given the detrimental impact pediatric IA can have on development. Currently, the ability to properly identify, monitor, and treat IA behavior across clinical populations is hindered by two major roadblocks: (1) the lack of an assessment tool designed for and sensitive to the set of behaviors comprising IA, and (2) the absence of a treatment indicated for IA symptomatology. In this review, we discuss the clinical gaps in the approach to monitoring and treating IA behavior, and highlight emerging solutions that may improve clinical outcomes in patients with IA.
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Cattarinussi G, Delvecchio G, Prunas C, Moltrasio C, Brambilla P. Effects of pharmacological treatments on emotional tasks in borderline personality disorder: A review of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. J Affect Disord 2021; 288:50-57. [PMID: 33839558 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.03.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a common mental disorder characterized by instability in interpersonal relationships, impaired self-image, impulsivity and aggressive behaviors that often requires pharmacological treatments. Neuroimaging alterations have been extensively reported in BPD, especially in regions within the fronto-limbic system. Although medications can be an important confounding factor in functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) studies, their role on brain function in BPD patients still remains uncertain. Therefore, this review aims to improve our understanding on the potential effect of the most commonly prescribed drugs for BPD on brain function during processing of emotional tasks. METHODS A search on PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science of fMRI studies exploring the effect of antipsychotics, antidepressants and mood stabilizers on brain activity during processing of emotional tasks on BPD was conducted. RESULTS Overall the studies showed small or no effect of pharmacological treatments on brain activity and connectivity in BPD patients during processing of emotional tasks. LIMITATIONS The small sample size, the observational design, the elevated percentage of women, the concomitant use of psychostimulants, anticholinergics and opioids substitute treatments and the high rate of comorbidities limit the conclusion of this review. CONCLUSIONS Pharmacological treatments seem to have minor role on brain activity/connectivity in BPD patients during emotional tasks, ultimately suggesting that in BPD patients brain deficits seem not be influenced by medications. This might be due to functional brain specificities of BPD and to the differences in pharmacological regimens and compliance to therapy between BPD and other common psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Giuseppe Delvecchio
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
| | - Cecilia Prunas
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Moltrasio
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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15
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Szczepaniak M, Chowdury A, Soloff PH, Diwadkar VA. Stimulus valence, episodic memory, and the priming of brain activation profiles in borderline personality disorder. Psychol Med 2021; 52:1-11. [PMID: 33858552 PMCID: PMC9275123 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721001136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by instability in affective regulation that can result in a loss of cognitive control. Triggers may be neuronal responses to emotionally valenced context and/or stimuli. 'Neuronal priming' indexes the familiarity of stimuli, and may capture the obligatory effects of affective valence on the brain's processing system, and how such valence mediates responses to the repeated presentation of stimuli. We investigated the effects of affective valence of stimuli on neuronal priming (i.e. changes in activation to repeated presentation of stimuli), and if these effects distinguished BPD patients from controls. METHODS Forty BPD subjects and 25 control subjects (age range: 18-44) participated in an episodic memory task during fMRI. Stimuli were presented in alternating epochs of encoding (six images of positive, negative, and neutral valence) and recognition (six images for 'old' v. 'new' recognition). Analyses focused on inter-group differences in the change in activation to repeated stimuli (presented during Encoding and Recognition). RESULTS Relative to controls, BPD showed greater priming (generally greater decrease from encoding to recognition) for negatively valenced stimuli. Conversely, BPD showed less priming for positively valenced stimuli (generally greater increase from encoding to recognition). CONCLUSION Plausibly, the relative familiarity of negative valence to patients with BPD exerts an influence on obligatory responses to repeated stimuli leading to repetition priming of neuronal profiles. The specific effects of valence on memory and/or attention, and consequently on priming can inform the understanding of mechanisms of altered salience for affective stimuli in BPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Szczepaniak
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, USA
| | - Asadur Chowdury
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, USA
| | - Paul H. Soloff
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Vaibhav A. Diwadkar
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, USA
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Davies G, Hayward M, Evans S, Mason O. A systematic review of structural MRI investigations within borderline personality disorder: Identification of key psychological variables of interest going forward. Psychiatry Res 2020; 286:112864. [PMID: 32163818 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Existing models of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) suggest that a combination of genetic vulnerability, childhood trauma, and disrupted attachment can lead to the marked emotional lability, impulsivity and interpersonal difficulties observed clinically. Brain structural differences in frontal, limbic and hippocampal regions have been reported in BPD. Less clear is how specific psychological factors relate to these structural differences, and how consistently this is found across studies. This was the focus of the present review. Eighteen studies published between 2004 and 2018 met inclusion criteria encompassing 990 participants. Study quality was assessed using the Nottingham-Ottawa Scale. We also introduce a newly devised scale to assess MRI reporting quality. The most frequently investigated psychological variable were impulsivity (9 studies), depression (8), trauma (6), aggression (6), severity of symptoms (3), global functioning, abuse and dissociation (2). Study quality varied, however, a trend was observed where newer studies were higher in reporting quality. Impulsivity demonstrated greater association with frontal structures, trauma related to the hypothalamus and limbic systems, and aggression with hippocampal and frontal structures. The present review recommends greater exploration of neurocognitive and psychosis-related features such as delusions, paranoia and voice-hearing in future studies, and to investigate cortical changes in longitudinal designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoff Davies
- Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK; Surrey & Borders NHS Trust, UK.
| | - Mark Hayward
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, UK; Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - Simon Evans
- Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | - Oliver Mason
- Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
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Manchia M, Comai S, Pinna M, Pinna F, Fanos V, Denovan-Wright E, Carpiniello B. Biomarkers in aggression. Adv Clin Chem 2019; 93:169-237. [PMID: 31655730 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acc.2019.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Aggressive behavior exerts an enormous impact on society remaining among the main causes of worldwide premature death. Effective primary interventions, relying on predictive models of aggression that show adequate sensitivity and specificity are currently lacking. One strategy to increase the accuracy and precision of prediction would be to include biological data in the predictive models. Clearly, to be included in such models, biological markers should be reliably associated with the specific trait under study (i.e., diagnostic biomarkers). Aggression, however, is phenotypically highly heterogeneous, an element that has hindered the identification of reliable biomarkers. However, current research is trying to overcome these challenges by focusing on more homogenous aggression subtypes and/or by studying large sample size of aggressive individuals. Further advance is coming by bioinformatics approaches that are allowing the integration of inter-species biological data as well as the development of predictive algorithms able to discriminate subjects on the basis of the propensity toward aggressive behavior. In this review we first present a brief summary of the available evidence on neuroimaging of aggression. We will then treat extensively the data on genetic determinants, including those from hypothesis-free genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and candidate gene studies. Transcriptomic and neurochemical biomarkers will then be reviewed, and we will dedicate a section on the role of metabolomics in aggression. Finally, we will discuss how biomarkers can inform the development of new pharmacological tools as well as increase the efficacy of preventive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Manchia
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
| | - Stefano Comai
- San Raffaele Scientific Institute and Vita Salute University, Milano, Italy; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Martina Pinna
- Forensic Psychiatry Unit, Sardinia Health Agency, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Federica Pinna
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Vassilios Fanos
- Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Puericulture Institute and Neonatal Section, University Hospital Agency of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | | | - Bernardo Carpiniello
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
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Soloff PH, Chowdury A, Diwadkar VA. Affective interference in borderline personality disorder: The lethality of suicidal behavior predicts functional brain profiles. J Affect Disord 2019; 252:253-262. [PMID: 30991253 PMCID: PMC6563825 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.04.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Negative affective interference with executive cognition is associated with emotion dysregulation and behavioral dyscontrol in BPD, including a diathesis to suicidal and self-injurious behavior. While clinically well described, the neural basis of affective interference with central executive network function, and resulting suicidal behavior is poorly understood. METHOD In an fMRI study, 23 BPD suicide attempters completed an affectively modified Continuous Performance Task(X-CPT), in which targets and distractors were rendered on Negative, Positive and Neutral Ekman faces, with a Distorted image as a behavioral baseline. Responses to targets were contextualized by the affective context of the face. Lethality Rating Scale scores (LRS) were modeled as the primary regressor of interest on activation peaks, with HamD scores covaried. RESULTS In the Negative vs. Neutral contrast, LRS scores were inversely related to activation in the ACC, parietal precuneus, BG and OFC, with no positive relationships. Results were similar in the Negative vs Positive contrast. In the Neutral vs. Positive contrast, activations were much less extensive, with mixed positive and negative relationships. Contextualizing responses based on the effects of valence decreased participant's ability to distinguish between targets and distracters; however, no differences were observed between valence contexts. fMRI-estimated effects were not confounded by differences in behavioral sensitivity across contexts. LIMITATIONS In this female-only sample, possible gender differences were not addressed. CONCLUSIONS With negative affective interference, increased lethality of suicidal behavior in BPD predicted diminished neural activation in areas critical to executive cognitive function. Therapies diminishing affective interference may reduce risk of suicidal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul H. Soloff
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Asadur Chowdury
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Vaibhav A. Diwadkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
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Neural networks of aggression: ALE meta-analyses on trait and elicited aggression. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 224:133-148. [PMID: 30291479 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1765-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
There is considerable evidence that emotion dysregulation and self-control impairments lead to escalated aggression in populations with psychiatric disorders. However, convergent quantitative evidence on the neural network explaining how aggression arises is still lacking. To address this gap, peak activations extracted from extant functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies were synthesized through coordinate-based meta-analyses. A systematic search in the PubMed database was conducted and 26 fMRI studies met the inclusion criteria. Three separate activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analyses were performed on (1) individual differences in trait aggression (TA) studies, (2) individual differences in TA studies examining executive functioning, and (3) elicited aggression (EA) studies across fMRI behavioral paradigms. Ensuing clusters from ALE meta-analyses were further treated as seeds for follow-up investigations on consensus connectivity networks (CCN) delineated from meta-analytic connectivity modeling (MACM) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) to further characterize their physiological functions. Finally, we obtained a data-driven functional characterization of the ensuing clusters and their networks. This approach offers a boarder view of the ensuing clusters using a boarder network perspective. In TA, aberrant brain activations were found only in the right precuneus. Follow-up analyses revealed that the precuneus seed was within the frontal-parietal network (FPN) associated with action inhibition, visuospatial processing and higher-level cognition. With further restricting to only experiments examining executive functioning, convergent evidence was found in the right rolandic operculum (RO), midcingulate cortex (MCC), precentral gyrus (PrG) and precuneus. Follow-up analyses suggested that RO, MCC and PrG may belong to a common cognitive control network, while the MCC seems to be the hub of this network. In EA, we only revealed a convergent region in the left postcentral gyrus. Follow-up CCN analyses and functional characterizations suggested that this region may also belong to the same cognitive control network found in the TA sub-analysis. Our results suggested that escalated aggression arises from abnormal precuneus activities within the FPN, disrupting the recruitment of other large-scale networks such as adaptive cognitive control network. Consequently, failure to recruit such a network results in an inability to generate adaptive responses, increasing the likelihood of acting aggressively.
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20
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review article aims at giving an update on studies investigating correlates of aggression in personality disorders during the last 5 years. RECENT FINDINGS Most data refer to borderline personality disorder (BPD) and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). In BPD, emotion dysregulation, hypersensitivity to interpersonal rejection/threat, increased rumination, increased negative urgency, aggression-related knowledge structures, and invalidation were either corroborated or emerged as psychological correlates of aggression, while reduced ambiguity sensitivity, hyposensitivity to interpersonal threat, and reduced mindfulness were associated with aggression in ASPD. Neurobiologically, alterations of the monoaminooxidase-A-, the oxytocinergic-, and the prefrontal-limbic-system as well as increases of the thyroid hormone T3, γ-aminobutyric acid and several inflammatory markers were associated with increased aggression across various personality disorders. Our understanding of correlates of aggression in personality disorders has increased over the last 5 years. More efforts in improving the conceptualization of personality disorders and aggression are needed to develop innovative treatments for those affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Falk Mancke
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Voßstraße 2, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Sabine C Herpertz
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Voßstraße 2, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Voßstraße 2, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
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21
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Hallquist MN, Hall NT, Schreiber AM, Dombrovski AY. Interpersonal dysfunction in borderline personality: a decision neuroscience perspective. Curr Opin Psychol 2018; 21:94-104. [PMID: 29111450 PMCID: PMC5866160 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by disadvantageous decisions that are often expressed in close relationships and associated with intense negative emotions. Although functional neuroimaging studies of BPD have described regions associated with altered social cognition and emotion processing, these correlates do not inform an understanding of how brain activity leads to maladaptive choices. Drawing on recent research, we argue that formal models of decision-making are crucial to elaborating theories of BPD that bridge psychological constructs, behavior, and neural systems. We propose that maladaptive interactions between Pavlovian and instrumental influences play a crucial role in the expression of interpersonal problems. Finally, we articulate specific hypotheses about how clinical features of BPD may map onto neural systems that implement separable decision processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nathan T Hall
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
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22
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Wagner G, Krause-Utz A, de la Cruz F, Schumann A, Schmahl C, Bär KJ. Resting-state functional connectivity of neurotransmitter producing sites in female patients with borderline personality disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:118-126. [PMID: 29355588 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Impulsive behavior, difficulties in controlling anger and suicidal behavior are typical patterns of affective/behavioral dysregulation in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Previous functional MRI studies in the resting state condition demonstrated altered functional connectivity (FC) between the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the frontoparietal executive control network (ECN), which was significantly associated with impulsivity in BPD. Impulsivity is often defined as a function of inhibitory control, strongly relying on the proper functioning of the fronto-cingulo-striatal network. Noradrenergic, dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmitter systems are assumed to be involved in different forms of impulsive behavior and inhibitory control. In our previous study, we investigated the FC of the main monoamine-producing nuclei within the midbrain and brainstem, which were functionally integrated in specific resting-state networks. In the present study we investigated the resting-state FC of midbrain/brainstem nuclei in 33 unmedicated female patients with BPD and 33 matched healthy controls. We further related altered functional connectivity of these nuclei to the patient's degree of impulsivity. The main finding was that BPD patients showed stronger FC from the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) to the ACC. Functional connectivity between the LC and ACC was positively associated with the degree of motor impulsivity in the total group. Controlling for aggression, a stronger FC was also found between serotonergic nucleus centralis superior (NCS) and the frontopolar cortex (FPC) in patients compared to controls. Furthermore, patients showed a weaker "anti-correlation" from the substantia nigra (SNc) to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The observed enhanced LC-ACC FC in BPD and its association with the motor impulsivity might be indicative of a noradrenergic dysfunction in the neural inhibitory control network, whereas the significant relationship between NCS-FPC FC and aggression points toward serotonergic contribution to prefrontal control of aggressive reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerd Wagner
- Psychiatric Brain and Body Research Group Jena, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Jena, Philosophenweg 3, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Annegret Krause-Utz
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Mannheim, Germany; Institute of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Feliberto de la Cruz
- Psychiatric Brain and Body Research Group Jena, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Jena, Philosophenweg 3, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Andy Schumann
- Psychiatric Brain and Body Research Group Jena, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Jena, Philosophenweg 3, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Christian Schmahl
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Mannheim, Germany
| | - Karl-Jürgen Bär
- Psychiatric Brain and Body Research Group Jena, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Jena, Philosophenweg 3, Jena 07743, Germany.
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Ho BC, Barry AB, Koeppel JA. Impulsivity in unaffected adolescent biological relatives of schizophrenia patients. J Psychiatr Res 2018; 97:47-53. [PMID: 29175297 PMCID: PMC5742548 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although schizophrenia is not a prototypic impulse-control disorder, patients report more impulsive behaviors, have higher rates of substance use, and show dysfunction in brain circuits that underlie impulsivity. We investigate impulsivity in unaffected biological relatives of schizophrenia patients to further understand the relationships between schizophrenia risk and impulse control during adolescence. METHOD Group differences in impulsivity (UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale and delay discounting) were tested in 210 adolescents contrasting 39 first- and 53 second-degree biological relatives of schizophrenia patients, and 118 subjects with no schizophrenia family history (NSFH). RESULTS Compared to NSFH adolescents and to second-degree relatives, first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients had increased impulsivity-related behaviors (higher UPPS-P Perseverance, Positive Urgency and Premeditation subscale scores) and greater preference for immediate rewards (smaller AUC and larger discounting constant). Second-degree relatives did not differ significantly from NSFH adolescents on self-report impulsive behaviors or on measures of impulsive decision-making. These group differences remained even after careful consideration of potential confounding factors. CONCLUSION Impulsivity is associated with schizophrenia risk, and its severity increases with greater familial relatedness to the schizophrenia proband. Additional studies are needed to understand the role impulsivity may play in mediating schizophrenia susceptibility during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beng-Choon Ho
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA.
| | - Amy B Barry
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Julie A Koeppel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
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Prevalence of borderline personality disorder and its risk factors in female prison inmates in China. Psychiatry Res 2017; 250:200-203. [PMID: 28167433 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.01.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Revised: 01/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
High prevalence of borderline personality disorder (BPD) has been found in Western prisons but no such data exists in China. The objective of this study was to determine the lifetime prevalence of BPD in Chinese female prison inmates and its associated risk factors. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Hunan Provincial Female Prison. Data on consenting inmates' socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were collected and the diagnosis of lifetime BPD was established using the Structural Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. The prevalence of BPD was 10.6% in the cohort of 2709 participating inmates. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that younger age, unmarried marital status, higher education level, fewer major medical conditions, more frequent personal and family members' drug use, more frequent comorbid psychiatric disorders and family history of psychiatric disorders were positively and independently associated with BPD. BPD is common in Chinese female prison inmates. Considering its adverse social consequences and impact on physical and mental well-being, serious attempts should be made to diagnose BPD early and improve access to treatment in women prisons.
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Rizzi M, Marras CE. Deep Brain Stimulation for the Treatment of Aggressive Behaviour: Considerations on Pathophysiology and Target Choice. Stereotact Funct Neurosurg 2017; 95:114-116. [DOI: 10.1159/000460260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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