Cognitive Control of Negative Stimuli in BPD

Freie Universität Berlin100 enrolled

Overview

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by impairments in the cognitive control of negative information. These impairments in cognitive control are presumably due to blunted activity of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) along with enhanced activations of the limbic system. However, the impact of an excitatory stimulation of the dlPFC still needs to be elucidated. In the present study, we therefore assigned 50 patients with BPD and 50 healthy controls to receive either anodal or sham stimulation of the right dlPFC in a double-blind, randomized, between-subjects design.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

DOUBLE

Enrollment

100

Conditions

Borderline Personality Disorder

Interventions

transcranial DC stimulation : anodalDEVICE

anodal stimulation of the right dlPFC (i.e. F4) for 20 minutes

transcranial DC stimulation : shamDEVICE

sham stimulation of the right dlPFC (i.e. F4) for 20 minutes

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 65 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria Borderline Personality Disorder: * Diagnosis of borderline personality disorder Exclusion Criteria Borderline Personality Disorder: * Diagnosis of current or previous bipolar disorder * Diagnosis of current substance dependency * Diagnosis of current major depression * Diagnosis of current or previous neurological disorders (e.g., epilepsy) * Tattoos or scarred skin on the left shoulder or scalp (i.e. F4) Inclusion Criteria Control Participants: * No current or previous diagnosis of a mental disorder Exclusion Criteria Control Participants: * More than 2 criteria of borderline personality disorder are met * Diagnosis of current or previous neurological disorders (e.g., epilepsy) * Intake of psychotropic medication * Tattoos or scarred skin on the left shoulder or scalp (i.e. F4)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Response latencies

Response latencies were measured in the context of a delayed working memory task. In this paradigm, each trial started with a fixation cross (1000 ms), followed by the presentation of six target letters (1500 ms), which participants were asked to memorize. After a variable distracter period (i.e., interference duration of 1000, 2000, or 4000 ms), participants were presented a recognition display (until a response was made) and had to decide whether the presented letter was part of the initial set of letters. In half of the trials, the recognition display contained a previously presented target. The distracter period of the experimental paradigm was manipulated with regard to the factors valence (grey background screen, or neutral, or negative stimuli) and interference duration (1000, 2000, or 4000 ms). Neutral and negative affective stimuli were selected from the International Affective Picture System.

Time frame: Response latencies were exclusively measured during the assigned interventions, which lasted approx. 20 minutes. No further time points were assessed.

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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