Abnormal white matter structural connectivity in treatment-naïve young adults with borderline personality disorder.
The pathogenesis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is not well understood. We examined the microstructure of white matter in patients with BPD.



Treatment-naïve young adult with BPD (N = 30) and young-adult healthy controls (HCs; N = 31) were subjected diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Microstructural parameters were analyzed via tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and post hoc tractography.



TBSS analysis revealed that, relative to the HC group, the BPD group had significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA) values in the genu and body of the corpus callosum (CC), right superior corona radiate, right anterior corona radiate, as well as higher radial diffusivity (RD) in the left anterior thalamic radiation. Tractography showed that FA values of fiber bundles passing through the fornix were significantly reduced in BPD group relative to HCs. No significant correlations were observed between clinical symptom and DTI indices in BPD group (FDR corrected).



Focal microstructural alterations were found in BPD group, mainly in the limbic system and CC. The present findings support the fronto-limbic disconnectivity hypothesis and suggest that abnormal maturation of white matter structures may play an important role in mechanism of BPD.
Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.|Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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J
Gan
Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.|Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
J
J
Yi
Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
M
M
Zhong
Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.|Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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X
Cao
Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.|Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
X
X
Jin
Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.|Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
W
W
Liu
Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.|Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
X
X
Zhu
D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008032:Limbic System / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
neuroimaging; personality disorder; white matter lesions