Volumes of the Hippocampus and Amygdala in Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) often exhibit impulsive and aggressive behavior. The hippocampus and amygdala form part of the limbic system, which plays a central role in controlling such expressions of emotional reactivity. There are mixed results in the literature regarding whether patients with BPD have smaller hippocampal and amygdalar volume relative to healthy controls. To clarify the precise nature of these mixed results, we performed a meta-analysis to aggregate data on the size of the hippocampus and amygdala in patients with BPD. Seven publications involving six studies and a total of 104 patients with BPD and 122 healthy controls were included. A significantly smaller volume was found in both the right and left hippocampi and amygdala of patients with BPD compared to healthy controls. These findings raise the possibility that reduced hippocampal and amygdalar volumes are biological substrates of some symptoms of BPD.

The interplay of conditional NCAM-knockout and chronic unpredictable stress leads to increased aggression in mice

“…In particular, exposure to chronic or severe stress increases the incidence of such disorders (de Kloet et al, 2005;Lupien et al, 2009;Wingenfeld et al, 2010), and can act as a trigger for impaired social behaviors, especially aggression (Cordero et al, 2012;Craig, 2007;Craig & Halton, 2009;Marquez et al, 2013;Mineur et al, 2003;Neumann et al, 2010;Wood et al, 2003). While brief periods of controllable stress result in mostly adaptive physiological and behavioral changes, chronic exposure to stress has been shown to have deleterious effects on several brain structures involved in regulating social behavior, including the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and amygdala (McEwen, 2002;Nunes et al, 2009;Sandi, 1998Sandi, , 2004. A large body of evidence implicates the differential expression of CAMs, particularly NCAM, in the mediation of stress effects on brain and behavior.…”

Genetic and Neuroimaging Features of Personality Disorders: State of the Art

“…Limbic and paralimbic systems Numerous studies have reported volumetric reductions in the limbic and paralimbic systems, particularly in the amygdala and hippocampus [135]. Niedtfeld et al [136] further confirmed that the volume loss in the amygdala in patients with borderline personality disorder is independent of a comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder.…”

Traumatic Experiences Disrupt Amygdala – Prefrontal Connectivity

“…However, another meta-analysis found significantly smaller left amygdala volumes in adults with PTSD than in either healthy or trauma-exposed controls (Karl et al, 2006). In addition, Nunes et al (2009) in a meta-analysis of six studies demonstrated significantly reduced volumes of both right and left hippocampi and amygdalae in patients with BPD. One meta-analysis reported that amygdala volume in children with maltreatment-related PTSD did not differ from that in healthy controls (Woon and Hedges, 2008).…”