title: Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and hippocampus sustain impulsivity and aggressiveness in borderline personality disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) patients are characterized by increased levels of aggressivity and reduction of impulse control, which are behavioural dimensions mainly sustained by hippocampus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). In this study we aimed at investigating whether hippocampus and DLPFC anatomy may sustain impulsive and aggressive behaviours in BPD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen DSM-IV BPD patients (11 females, 4 males) and fifteen 1:1 matched healthy controls (11 females, 4 males) were studied with a 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and underwent a psychopathological assessment in order to measure the severity of aggressive and impulsive traits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Right hippocampal volumes were significantly reduced in BPD patients compared to healthy subjects (p=0.027), particularly in those with a history of childhood abuse (p=0.01). Moreover, in patients but not in controls, right hippocampal volumes significantly inversely correlated with aggressiveness and DLPFC grey matter volumes significantly inversely associated with impulsiveness (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results provide evidence that hippocampus and DLPFC play a separate and unique role in sustaining the control of impulse and aggressive behaviours in BPD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health, Azienda Sanitaria Locale Alessandria, Alessandria Italy. michelasalacap@yahoo.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caverzasi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lazzaretti
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morandotti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Vidovich
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marraffini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gambini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isola
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Bona
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rambaldelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: d'Allio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barale
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zappoli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brambilla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests