Neurochemical alterations in women with borderline personality disorder and comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
BACKGROUND
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with structural and functional brain changes. Recent models and findings refer to alterations of glutamate and total N-acetylaspartate (tNAA) in this condition.


METHODS
Absolute quantities of tNAA, creatine, glutamate, glutamine, myoinositol and total choline were measured using 3 Tesla magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the left anterior cingulate cortex and the left cerebellum in 14 unmedicated women with BPD and comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 18 healthy women. Both groups were matched with respect to age, education and premorbid intelligence.


RESULTS
In the anterior cingulate, we found significantly higher tNAA and glutamate concentrations and a trend for lower glutamine levels in women with BPD and comorbid ADHD as compared to healthy women. There were no significant group differences in cerebellar metabolite concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
Glutamatergic changes in the anterior cingulate may be associated with BPD and comorbid ADHD. Increased anterior cingulate tNAA may indicate disturbed energy metabolism or impaired frontal maturation.
Rüsch
Nicolas
N
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. nicolas.ruesch@uniklinik-freiburg.de
Boeker
Miriam
M
Büchert
Martin
M
Glauche
Volkmar
V
Bohrmann
Carl
C
Ebert
Dieter
D
Lieb
Klaus
K
Hennig
Jürgen
J
Tebartz Van Elst
Ludger
L
D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000737:chemistry; D002794:Choline / Q000032:analysis; D003401:Creatine / Q000032:analysis; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D005973:Glutamine / Q000032:analysis; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007294:Inositol / Q000032:analysis; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
D005973:Glutamine; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D007294:Inositol; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline