Orbitofrontal dysfunction related to depressive symptomatology in subjects with borderline personality disorder

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders Vol. 134; no. 1; pp. 410 - 415
• Main Authors: Díaz-Marsá, M, Carrasco, J.L, López-Ibor, M, Moratti, S, Montes, A, Ortiz, T, López-Ibor, J.J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 01.11.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Affect; Affective; Biological and medical sciences; Borderline personality disorder; Borderline Personality Disorder - diagnosis; Borderline Personality Disorder - physiopathology; Borderline Personality Disorder - psychology; Brain - physiopathology; Brain function; Brain Mapping; Cortex; Depression; Depressive Disorder - physiopathology; Dysfunction; Dysthymia; Emotions; Evoked Potentials, Visual; Female; Frontal Lobe - physiopathology; Humans; Impulsive Behavior - psychology; Impulsivity; Magnetoencephalography; Male; Medical sciences; Mood disorders; Orbito-frontal; Personality disorders; Personality Inventory; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Severity of Illness Index; Stimulation; Young Adult; Orbito-frontal; Dysthymia; Affective; Magnetoencephalography; Brain function; Borderline personality disorder; Human; Mood disorder; Affect affectivity; Orbitofrontal cortex; Borderline; Central nervous system; Depression; Personality disorder; Encephalon; Symptomatology
• ISSN: 0165-0327; 1573-2517
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2011.04.034

Abstract Objective In order to explore the relationships of fronto-limbic dysfunction with the clinical features of borderline personality disorder (BPD), the authors investigated brain electrophysiological activity in BPD patients following stimulation with emotionally arousing images. Methods Seventeen non-medicated patients with borderline personality disorder were studied with magneto-encephalography. Regional cortical activities were obtained by minimum norm estimate (MNE) of steady-state visual evoked fields (ssVEFs). Linear regression models were conducted to explore clinical correlates of brain activity. Results Although no interaction group × picture category × brain region was found, a significant interaction group × brain region appeared for orbito-frontal cortex (OFC). BPD patients showed significantly reduced magnetocortical activity in left OFC across all picture categories (F = 26.4; p < .05; F = 31.4). Left OFC activity was inversely correlated with depression score in the BDI (r: − 0.48, p < 0.05), with score in the Cornell Dysthymia rating scale (r: − 0.52, p < 0.05) and with the number of criteria met for depressive personality disorder (r: − 0.44, p < 0.05). Left orbitofrontal activity was also inversely correlated with the global score in the GAF (r − 0.63, p < 0.01). No correlations were found between OFC activity and impulsivity or global severity of BPD symptoms. Conclusions Abnormal functioning at orbitofrontal areas in BPD could be related to the presence of affective symptomatology and is associated with greater functional deterioration of patients.