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Evidence of abnormal amygdala functioning in borderline personality disorder: a functional MRI study
S C Herpertz1, T M Dietrich, B Wenning
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty of Aachen Technical University-RWTH, Aachen, Germany.
Biological Psychiatry
|August 28, 2001
Summary
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is linked to heightened amygdala activity, suggesting intense emotional responses. This brain region may influence attention to emotional stimuli in individuals with BPD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
Background:
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by intense mood fluctuations.
- Limited research exists on affective processing in BPD, with no identified neurofunctional correlates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate neurofunctional correlates of emotional processing in BPD.
- To identify differences in brain activity between BPD patients and controls when viewing emotional stimuli.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activity.
- Six female BPD patients and six age-matched controls viewed aversive and neutral slides.
Main Results:
- BPD subjects showed elevated fMRI signal in the amygdala compared to controls.
- BPD patients exhibited activation in the medial and inferolateral prefrontal cortex.
- Both groups activated the temporo-occipital cortex, but BPD subjects showed additional activation in the fusiform gyrus.
Conclusions:
- Enhanced amygdala activation in BPD may explain intense, prolonged emotional responses to stressors.
- Amygdala modulation of the perceptual cortex could increase attention to emotional stimuli in BPD.