title: An MRI study of pituitary volume and parasuicidal behavior in teenagers with first-presentation borderline personality disorder.
abstract: This structural magnetic resonance imaging study examined the relationship between pituitary gland volume (PGV) and lifetime number of parasuicidal behaviors in a first-presentation, teenage borderline personality disorder (BPD) sample with minimal exposure to treatment. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that age and number of parasuicidal behaviors were significant predictors of PGV. These findings indicate that parasuicidal behavior in BPD might be associated with greater activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Further studies are required using direct neuroendocrine measures and exploring other parameters of self-injurious behavior, such as recency of self-injurious behavior, intent to die and medical threat.
authors.affiliation: ORYGEN Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jovev
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Garner
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Velakoulis
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Henry J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pantelis
authors.forename: Patrick D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: McGorry
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Chanen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*