Medial prefrontal cortex hyperactivation during social exclusion in borderline personality disorder

Ruocco, Anthony C.; Medaglia, John D.; Tinker, Jennifer R.; Ayaz, Hasan; Forman, Evan M.; Newman, Cory F.; Williams, J. Michael; Hillary, Frank G.; Platek, Steven M.; Onaral, Banu; Chute, Douglas L.

doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2009.12.001

« Previous Next »Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging
Volume 181, Issue 3 , Pages 233-236, 30 March 2010

Medial prefrontal cortex hyperactivation during social exclusion in borderline personality disorder

Anthony C. Ruocco
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Corresponding author. University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago, 912 S. Wood St., Suite 235—MC 913, Chicago, IL, 60612-7327, United States. Tel.: +1 312 355 0340; fax: +1 312 413 8837.
John D. Medaglia
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
Jennifer R. Tinker
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
Hasan Ayaz
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science & Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
Evan M. Forman
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
Cory F. Newman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
J. Michael Williams
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
Frank G. Hillary
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
Steven M. Platek
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
Banu Onaral
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science & Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
Douglas L. Chute
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science & Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Received 2 April 2009; received in revised form 27 August 2009; accepted 9 December 2009.

Abstract

Frontal systems dysfunction and abandonment fears represent central features of borderline personality disorder (BPD). BPD subjects (n=10) and matched non-psychiatric comparison subjects (n=10) completed a social–cognitive task with two confederates instructed to either include or exclude subjects from a circumscribed interaction. Evoked cerebral blood oxygenation in frontal cortex was measured using 16-channel functional near infrared spectroscopy. BPD subjects showed left medial prefrontal cortex hyperactivation during social exclusion suggesting potential dysfunction of frontolimbic circuitry.

Keywords: Borderline personality disorder, Functional near infrared spectroscopy, Prefrontal cortex