Alterations in the fronto-limbic network and corpus callosum in borderline-personality disorder

Neuroimaging research provides evidence of grey matter changes in the prefrontal-limbic network in borderline personality disorder (BPD), yet research scarcely examines the white matter (WM) within this circuitry. The present study aimed to explore WM in prefrontal-limbic brain networks within BPD. Quantitative diffusion tensor imaging (DTI-MRI) measures of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusion (MD) were used to analyze the neural pathways in fifteen individuals with BPD (M = 25, SD = 6.76), in comparison to thirteen healthy individuals (M = 27.92, SD = 8.41). Quantitative DTI-MRI measures of FA and MD were evaluated for the cingulum, the fornix, the corpus callosum (CC), the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and the uncinate fasciculus (UF). Lower FA values for both the left and the right cingulum, the genu, body, and splenium of the CC, left ILF and right SLF were found in BPD, compared to healthy individuals. MD values were higher for the genu and splenium of the CC in BPD. The findings indicate that a large-scale emotional brain network is affected in BPD with alterations in MD and FA of WM prefrontal-limbic pathways of the heteromodal association cortex involved in emotion processing and emotion regulation.

Freud's "Project": The Mind-Brain Connection Revisited

Freud's "Project for a Scientific Psychology" (1895) reflected his attempt to explain psychic phenomena in neurobiological terms. The recent discovery of the neuron motivated him to embark on this endeavor. His basic hypothesis was that neurons were vehicles for the conduction of "currents" or "excitations," and that they were connected to one another. Using this model, Freud attempted to describe a number of mental phenomena, including: consciousness, perception, affect, self, cognition, dreaming, memory, and symptom formation. However, he was unable to complete his exploration of these mental processes because he lacked the information and technology that became available over the following century. Subsequent discoveries, including fMRIs, PET scans, EEGs, synapses, neural networks, genetic factors, neurotransmitters, and discrete brain circuits facilitated a significant expansion of our knowledge of mind-brain phenomena. As a result, effective pharmacological treatments have been developed for schizophrenia, mood and anxiety disorders. Moreover, changes in brain function can be measured that reflect successful pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic treatment. Despite these advances, there remain limitations in our understanding of the relationship between mind and brain functions. More than a century after Freud began the "Project," the neurobiology underlying the phenomena of consciousness, unconsciousness, qualities of subjective feelings, thoughts, and memories is still not fully understood. Can we expect to reach a more comprehensive integration of mind and its neurobiological substrate a century from now? The purpose of this article is to update our knowledge of the neurobiology associated with the specific mental functions that Freud examined in the "Project," and to pose questions concerning mind-brain phenomena that will hopefully be answered in the future.

Practice Parameter for psychodynamic psychotherapy with children

This Practice Parameter describes the principles of psychodynamic psychotherapy with children and is based on clinical consensus and available research evidence. It presents guidelines for the practice of child psychodynamic psychotherapy, including indications and contraindications, the setting, verbal and interactive (play) techniques, work with the parents, and criteria for termination.