Atypical Neural Plasticity and Behavioral Effects of Trustworthiness Learning in Borderline Personality Disorder...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Social Cognition

Background:

• Interpersonal trust is crucial for social functioning.
• Borderline personality features (BPD) are associated with altered social perception and trust.
• Understanding trust learning in BPD is essential for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate interpersonal trust learning in individuals with high (H-BPD) and low (L-BPD) borderline personality features.
• To examine how different trustworthiness cues influence trust judgments and neural responses.
• To explore the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying trust biases in H-BPD and L-BPD.

Main Methods:

• A novel trust learning paradigm involving neutral faces paired with trustworthiness descriptors (trustworthy, untrustworthy, ambiguous, mixed).
• Electroencephalography (EEG) recorded during face perception and trustworthiness ratings post-learning.
• Comparison of behavioral ratings and event-related potentials (ERPs) between H-BPD and L-BPD groups.

Main Results:

• H-BPD participants rated neutral faces as significantly more untrustworthy than L-BPD participants.
• Negative and ambiguous trustworthiness cues increased untrustworthiness ratings, while trustworthy cues decreased them.
• Learning enhanced early sensory ERPs (P1) in both groups.
• H-BPD showed increased sustained attention to trustworthy cues, whereas L-BPD focused on untrustworthy cues.

Conclusions:

• H-BPD individuals exhibit an inherent mistrust bias that influences social perception.
• Trust learning modulates neural responses and attention, with group-specific patterns observed.
• These findings highlight the effortful cognitive processes involved in overcoming trust biases in H-BPD and L-BPD.