Neurofeedback for Borderline Personality Disorder

Amygdala rtfMRI Neurofeedback for Borderline Personality Disorder

The goal of this study is to evaluate whether rtfMRI-nf training to increase the amygdala response to positive memories may serve as an intervention for borderline personality disorder.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Borderline Personality Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Amygdala Neurofeedback

Detailed Description

We will assess the treatment effects of real-time fMRI neurofeedback in adults with borderline personality disorder. This is an experimental longitudinal design where participants will be followed every two weeks after receiving 2 sessions of neurofeedback from the amygdala . Procedures involve a battery of self-report measures, fMRI and psychophysiological indices (heart rate, respiration).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213
      • University of Pittsburgh

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 55 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• right-handed adults (ages 18 - 55) with a primary diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder according to diagnostic criteria in the Structured Interview for DSM Personality Disorders
• must be able to give written informed consent prior to participation
• unmedicated or stable on an SSRI antidepressant regime (at least 3 weeks to ensure symptoms are stable)
• English speaking

Exclusion Criteria:

• have a clinically significant or unstable cardiovascular, pulmonary, endocrine, neurological, gastrointestinal illness or unstable medical disorder
• Current moderate or severe DSM-V alcohol or substance use disorder, with the exception of nicotine or caffeine. Clinician will access subjects' alcohol and substance use on a case-by-case to determine whether specific cases of mild alcohol or substance use would also interfere with the effects of the intervention.
• have a history of traumatic brain injury
• are unable to complete MRI scan due to claustrophobia or general MRI exclusions (e.g., shrapnel inside body)
• are currently pregnant or breast feeding
• are unable to complete questionnaires written in English
• current (within 3 weeks of testing) use of any antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, or other medications (except SSRI antidepressants) likely to influence cerebral blood flow. Effective medications will not be discontinued for the purposes of the study. Inclusion of patients on stable antidepressant medications was decided in order to allow generalization towards a real world population
• have a DSM-5 diagnosis of psychotic or organic mental disorder
• have any eye problems or difficulties in corrected vision.
• Serious suidicial ideation

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Amygdala Neurofeedback; Participants will undergo real-time fMRI neurofeedback training to increase their amygdala response while recalling positive autobiographical memories. 2 sessions will occur within a one week period.	Device: Amygdala Neurofeedback; real-time feedback on the hemodynamic response of the amygdala during positive autobiographical memory recall

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change from Baseline in Borderline Scale from the Personality Assessment Inventory at 12 weeks	Assessment of severity of borderline symptoms. This scale contains 24 items rated on a four-point scale (0=false to 3=very true). Scores range from 0-72, and are converted to T scores, with higher scores indicating more borderline symptoms. Scores below 59 indicate healthy, scores at or above 70T indicate the respondent is likely to have borderline personality disorder.	Baseline vs 12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change from Baseline in Beck Depression Inventory at 12 weeks	Assessment of severity of depressive symptoms. This is a 21 item self-report scale with items rated from 0-3 and scores ranging from 0 to 63 with higher scores indicating worse depression. A score less than 13 is considered to be in the healthy range, scores 14-19 indicate mild depression, scores 20-28 indicate moderate depression, scores 29-63 indicate severe depression.	Baseline vs 12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Kymberly Young
• Collaborators: AE Foundation
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Kymberl Young, PhD, University of Pittsburgh

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 2, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): April 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 25, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 25, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): June 1, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 5, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 4, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: amygdala; fMRI neurofeedback
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Personality Disorders; Borderline Personality Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: STUDY22040107

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: Deidentified data will be made available to researchers who sign a data sharing agreement with the PI

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: Yes
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No