Cognitive Control of Negative Stimuli in BPD

NCT03636139 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: tDCS_BPD
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 100
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by impairments in the cognitive control of negative information. These impairments in cognitive control are presumably due to blunted activity of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) along with enhanced activations of the limbic system. However, the impact of an excitatory stimulation of the dlPFC still needs to be elucidated. In the present study, we therefore assigned 50 patients with BPD and 50 healthy controls to receive either anodal or sham stimulation of the right dlPFC in a double-blind, randomized, between-subjects design.

Conditions

Borderline Personality Disorder

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Response latencies

  Response latencies were measured in the context of a delayed working memory task. In this paradigm, each trial started with a fixation cross (1000 ms), followed by the presentation of six target letters (1500 ms), which participants were asked to memorize. After a variable distracter period (i.e., interference duration of 1000, 2000, or 4000 ms), participants were presented a recognition display (until a response was made) and had to decide whether the presented letter was part of the initial set of letters. In half of the trials, the recognition display contained a previously presented target. The distracter period of the experimental paradigm was manipulated with regard to the factors valence (grey background screen, or neutral, or negative stimuli) and interference duration (1000, 2000, or 4000 ms). Neutral and negative affective stimuli were selected from the International Affective Picture System.

  Response latencies were exclusively measured during the assigned interventions, which lasted approx. 20 minutes. No further time points were assessed.

Study Arms (2)

Anodal stimulation

EXPERIMENTAL

transcranial DC stimulation : anodal

Device: transcranial DC stimulation : anodal

Sham stimulation

SHAM COMPARATOR

transcranial DC stimulation : sham

Device: transcranial DC stimulation : sham

Interventions

transcranial DC stimulation : anodal DEVICE

anodal stimulation of the right dlPFC (i.e. F4) for 20 minutes

Anodal stimulation

transcranial DC stimulation : sham DEVICE

sham stimulation of the right dlPFC (i.e. F4) for 20 minutes

Sham stimulation

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Diagnosis of borderline personality disorder

You may not qualify if:

• Diagnosis of current or previous bipolar disorder
• Diagnosis of current substance dependency
• Diagnosis of current major depression
• Diagnosis of current or previous neurological disorders (e.g., epilepsy)
• Tattoos or scarred skin on the left shoulder or scalp (i.e. F4)
• No current or previous diagnosis of a mental disorder
• More than 2 criteria of borderline personality disorder are met
• Diagnosis of current or previous neurological disorders (e.g., epilepsy)
• Intake of psychotropic medication
• Tattoos or scarred skin on the left shoulder or scalp (i.e. F4)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Freie Universität Berlin: lead

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Borderline Personality Disorder

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personality Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 10, 2018
• First Posted: August 17, 2018
• Study Start: January 1, 2016
• Primary Completion: June 1, 2017
• Study Completion: June 1, 2017
• Last Updated: February 22, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-02