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09:55
Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
Published on: March 8, 2018
Developmental precipitants of borderline personality disorder
Abigail A Baird1, Heather B Veague, C Elizabeth Rabbitt
1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA. abigail.a.baird@dartmouth.edu
Development and Psychopathology
|April 15, 2006
Summary
Borderline personality disorder may stem from disrupted neural pathways for unconscious emotional memory, impacting early attachment and development. Adolescence then becomes a critical period for its onset.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Traditional theories of borderline personality disorder (BPD) etiology focus on attachment issues and trauma.
- A potential gap exists in understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of early BPD development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose an additional pathogenic mechanism for borderline personality disorder.
- To explore the role of neural hardware for unconscious emotional memory in BPD etiology.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on BPD, attachment theory, and neurodevelopment.
- Theoretical modeling of neural mechanisms underlying emotional memory and attachment.
Main Results:
- A disruption in neural hardware for unconscious emotional memory is posited as a key factor.
- This early neural disruption affects subsequent behavioral and neural development.
Conclusions:
- Adolescence represents a critical tipping point for the onset of BPD, influenced by early neurodevelopmental disruptions.
- This model offers a neurobiologically informed perspective on BPD etiology beyond traditional theories.
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