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A New Perspective on the Pathophysiology of Borderline Personality Disorder: A Model of the Role of Oxytocin
A New Perspective on the Pathophysiology of Borderline Personality Disorder: A Model of the Role of Oxytocin Sabine C. Herpertz, , M.D., Katja Bertsch, , Ph.D. Borderline personality disorder is characterized by three domains of dysfunction: affect dysregulation, behavioral dyscontrol, and interpersonal hypersensitivity. Interpersonal hypersensitivity is associated with a (pre)attentive bias toward negative social information and, on the level of the brain, enhanced bottom-up emotion generation, while affect dysregulation results from abnormal top-down processes. Additionally, the problems of patients with borderline personality disorder in interpersonal functioning appear to be related to alterations in the (social) reward and empathy networks. There is increasing evidence that the oxytocinergic system may be involved…
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Emotionally unstable people have different brain structure
The results support the idea that there is a continuum in our ability to regulate emotions, and if you are at the extreme end of the spectrum, you are likely to have problems with functioning in society and this leads to a psychiatric diagnosis Emotionally unstable people have different brain structure We all vary in how often we become happy, sad or angry, and also in how strongly these emotions are expressed. This variability is a part of our personality and can be seen as a positive aspect that increases diversity in society. However, there are people that find it so difficult to regulate their emotions that it has a…
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The situation of former adolescent self-injurers as young adults: a follow-up study
An earlier age of onset of NSSI and a longer duration of NSSI during adolescence was significantly predictive of adult BPD. The situation of former adolescent self-injurers as young adults: a follow-up study Rebecca C. Groschwitz, Paul L. Plener, Michael Kaess, Teresa Schumacher, Ramona Stoehr and Isabel Boege Background Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescence has been described as comorbid condition in affective or anxiety disorders, as well as borderline personality disorder (BPD) and is a risk factor for later suicide attempts. Prevalence rates of NSSI decline steeply from adolescence to young adulthood. Yet, to the best of our knowledge, the longitudinal development of adolescent psychiatric patients with NSSI into their…
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Are DSM Psychiatric Disorders “Heritable”?
The authors of mainstream psychiatric and psychiatric genetic publications believe that the major psychiatric disorders are “moderately to highly heritable.” Are DSM Psychiatric Disorders “Heritable”? By JAY JOSEPH A key psychiatric genetic concept is heritability. The concept was originally developed as a tool to help predict the results of selective breeding programs of farm animals,1 but has been extended in the past few decades as an indicator of the strength or magnitude of genetic influences on various psychiatric disorders and behavioral characteristics. Numerical heritability estimates have been a mainstay of the field of behavioral genetics, but here I would like to focus on problems with the heritability concept in psychiatry,…
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Neuroscience: The hard science of oxytocin
In patients with a psychiatric condition known as borderline personality disorder, a single dose of oxytocin has been found to hinder trust and cooperation Neuroscience: The hard science of oxytocin As researchers work out how oxytocin affects the brain, the hormone is shedding its reputation as a simple cuddle chemical. Helen Shen In April 2011, Robert Froemke and his team were reprogramming the brains of virgin mice with a single hormone injection. Before the treatment, the female mice were largely indifferent to the cries of a distressed baby, and were even known to trample over them. But after an injection of oxytocin, the mice started to respond more like mothers,…
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Mood instability common in many mental disorders, linked to poorer outcomes
“Although it has been principally considered as a core feature of borderline personality disorder, mood instability has also been described in bipolar disorder, depression and more recently psychotic disorders.” Mood instability common in many mental disorders, linked to poorer outcomes Patel R, et al. BMJ Open. 2015; doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007504. Analysis of a large national cohort showed mood instability was common across many mental disorders and led to higher rates of hospitalization and antipsychotic treatment. Based on this analysis, study researcher Rashmi Patel, PhD, of King’s College London, and colleagues recommend clinicians screen for mood instability among all patients with mental disorders, in an effort to improve outcomes and identify patients in…
