Corpus callosum morphology and relationship to orbitofrontal and lateral ventricular volume in teenagers with first-presentation borderline personality disorder

Walterfang, Mark; Chanen, Andrew M.; Barton, Sarah; Wood, Amanda G.; Jones, Sheena; Reutens, David C.; Chen, Jian; Velakoulis, Dennis; McGorry, Patrick D.; Pantelis, Christos

doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.04.001

« Previous Next »Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging
Volume 183, Issue 1 , Pages 30-37, 30 July 2010

Corpus callosum morphology and relationship to orbitofrontal and lateral ventricular volume in teenagers with first-presentation borderline personality disorder

Mark Walterfang
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
- Neuropsychiatry Unit, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
- Corresponding author. Level 2, John Cade Building, Royal Melbourne Hospital 3050, Australia.
Andrew M. Chanen
- Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Orygen Youth Health Clinical Program, Northwestern Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia
Sarah Barton
- Department of Medicine, Southern Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Amanda G. Wood
- Department of Medicine, Southern Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
Sheena Jones
- Victorian Dual Disability Service, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
David C. Reutens
- Advanced Imaging Centre, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Jian Chen
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
Dennis Velakoulis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
- Neuropsychiatry Unit, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
Patrick D. McGorry
- Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Orygen Youth Health Clinical Program, Northwestern Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia
Christos Pantelis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia

Received 21 February 2010; accepted 7 April 2010.

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated alterations to fronto-limbic circuitry and callosal structure in borderline personality disorder (BPD). We predicted that a first-presentation BPD cohort who demonstrated orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) reductions would show regional reductions in the anterior corpus callosum.

Method

Twenty teenage first-presentation BPD patients and twenty matched healthy controls underwent Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in 20 teenaged first-presentation BPD patients and 20 matched healthy controls. Corpus callosum size and shape and ventricular volume were estimated using established methods and compared between the two groups. The relationship between illness variables and callosal morphology was also examined. OFC volume was correlated with callosal and ventricular variables.

Results

BPD participants and controls did not differ on measures of callosal size or shape, or ventricular size. BPD participants showed an alteration to the pattern of age-related expansions seen in the callosum. BPD participants with a history of trauma did not demonstrate significant neuroanatomical differences from those without. OFC volumes did not correlate with the thickness of the anterior corpus callosum.

Conclusion

Gross neuroanatomical changes are not present at the level of the callosum in teenagers with first-presentation BPD. Changes seen in other studies might reflect factors associated with the duration of BPD, such as recurrent comorbidity with axis I disorders, or treatment.

Keywords: Myelin, White matter, Prefrontal