Frontal EEG asymmetry in borderline personality disorder is associated with alexithymia

Abstract

BackgroundFrontal EEG asymmetry is a widely studied correlate of emotion processing and psychopathology. Recent research suggests that frontal EEG asymmetry during resting state is related to approach/withdrawal motivation and is also found in affective disorders such as major depressive disorder. Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) show aberrant behavior in relation to both approach and withdrawal motivation, which may arguably be associated with their difficulties in emotion processing. The occurrence and significance of frontal EEG asymmetry in BPD, however, has received little attention.ResultsThirty-seven BPD patients and 39 controls underwent resting EEG and completed several psychometric questionnaires. While there were no between-group differences in frontal EEG asymmetry, in BPD frontal EEG asymmetry scores correlated significantly with alexithymia. That is, higher alexithymia scores were associated with relatively lower right-frontal activity. A subsequent analysis corroborated the significant interaction between frontal EEG asymmetry and alexithymia, which was moderated by group.ConclusionsOur findings reveal that lower right frontal EEG asymmetry is associated with alexithymia in patients with BPD. This finding is in accordance with neurophysiological models of alexithymia that implicate a right hemisphere impairment in emotion processing, and could suggest frontal EEG asymmetry as a potential biomarker of relevant psychopathology in these patients.

Altered interoception in patients with borderline personality disorder: a study using heartbeat-evoked potentials

“…In fact, altered frontal activity was frequently reported in BPD (for review see [52]). In addition, in a previous study of our group, we found that altered frontal asymmetry was related to alexithymia in patients with BPD [3]. In line with these findings, HEP amplitudes over frontal electrodes correlated with alexithymia, but not with dissociative symptoms, the severity of borderline symptoms or childhood trauma.…”

“…Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by self-injurious and risk-taking behavior, deficits in emotion regulation and poor impulse control, fragile selfimages, unstable relationships and intensive fear of being abandoned [1]. Moreover, many patients with BPD have difficulties in identifying and describing their own feelings, referred to as alexithymia [2][3][4][5]. BPD is also frequently associated with trauma-related dissociative symptoms [6,7].…”

Cortical haemodynamic response measured by functional near infrared spectroscopy during a verbal fluency task in patients with major depression and borderline personality disorder

“…Likewise, PET studies have associated several BPD traits with altered glucose metabolism in the amygdala [63] and frontal lobe [64]. Furthermore, altered frontal EEG signals are associated with childhood trauma, dissociative symptoms [65] and impaired emotional processing in patients with BPD [66]. Taken together, concurring evidence derived from various biological techniques, including fNIRS, support a biological model of BPD [67].…”

Resting Frontal Eeg Asymmetry and Personality Traits: A Meta–Analysis

“…Traits that could not be unambiguously allocated to any of the categories were excluded (e.g. trait reassurance seeking, Minnix et al, ; trait alexithymia, Flasbeck, Popkirov, & Brüne, ; emotional intelligence, Mikolajczak et al, ; and trait communication apprehension, Beatty et al, ). Furthermore, we also excluded studies reporting only depression given that commonly used instruments to assess depression (e.g.…”