Corpus callosum abnormalities in women with borderline personality disorder and comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Source: J Psychiatry Neurosci
2007 Apr;32(6):417-422.
Author: RĂ¼sch N, Luders E, Lieb K, Zahn R, Ebert D, Thompson PM, Toga AW &
Tebartz van Elst L PubMed ID: 18043765
Abstract:
Decreased brain volumes in prefrontal, limbic and parietal areas have been found in women with borderline personality disorder
(BPD). Recent models suggest impaired structural and functional connectivity in this condition. To investigate this, we studied the
thickness of the corpus callosum, the largest connecting fibre bundle in the human brain. Methods: We acquired magnetic resonance
imaging scans from 20 healthy women and 20 women with BPD and comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. A novel computational
mesh-based method was applied to measure callosal thickness at high spatial resolution. Results: Women with BPD had a thinner
isthmus of the corpus callosum, compared with healthy women. In the patient group, a history of childhood sexual abuse was associated
with a thinner posterior body of the corpus callosum. Conclusion: Interhemispheric structural connectivity involving parietal and temporal
areas may be impaired in women with BPD and comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.