Neural Mechanisms of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder

NCT06882330 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: NU20-04-00410
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 106
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This research examines the behavioral and neural mechanisms of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) effect in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD).

Conditions

Borderline Personality Disorder

Keywords

Dialectical behavior therapy; Borderline personality disorder; Therapy effectiveness

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Decrease of borderline symptoms

  significant decrease of symptoms measured by Borderline Symptoms List-23

  From baseline (T1), a second assessment takes place after 12 weeks (T2), the third assessment takes place 12 weeks after T2 (T3), and the fourth assessment takes place 24 weeks after T3 (T4).

• Decrease of self-injury incidents and suicidal attempts

  significant decrease of self-injury incidents and suicidal attempts assessed by semi-structured interview Lifetime - Suicide Attempt Self-Injury Count

  From baseline (T1), the third assessment takes place 24 weeks after T1 (T3), and the fourth assessment takes place 24 weeks after T3 (T4). The second assessment (T2) is not included in this outcome measure.

Secondary Outcomes (16)

• Decrease in the number of days spent in the hospital

  From baseline (T1), the third assessment takes place 24 weeks after T1 (T3), and the fourth assessment takes place 24 weeks after T3 (T4). The second assessment (T2) is not included in this outcome measure.

• Ecological momentary assessment of emotional variability

  From baseline (T1), the third assessment takes place 24 weeks after T1 (T3), and the fourth assessment takes place 24 weeks after T3 (T4). The second assessment (T2) is not included in this outcome measure.

• Increase in reasons for living

  From baseline (T1), a second assessment takes place after 12 weeks (T2), the third assessment takes place 12 weeks after T2 (T3), and the fourth assessment takes place 24 weeks after T3 (T4).

• Decrease of impulsivity

  From baseline (T1), a second assessment takes place after 12 weeks (T2), the third assessment takes place 12 weeks after T2 (T3), and the fourth assessment takes place 24 weeks after T3 (T4).

• Increase of mindfulness

  From baseline (T1), a second assessment takes place after 12 weeks (T2), the third assessment takes place 12 weeks after T2 (T3), and the fourth assessment takes place 24 weeks after T3 (T4).

Study Arms (3)

BPD-DBT group - patients undergoing DBT program.

EXPERIMENTAL

Patients with BPD undergoing Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) program with all the standard DBT modules (individual therapy 1 hour per week, skill groups 1.5 hours twice per week, phone coaching as needed, and consultation team 1.5 hours per week). The program lasts a total of 24 weeks in total including two 12-week runs of skills training. Four individual pretreatment sessions precede the program before the start of the main program part.

Behavioral: Dialectical behavior therapy

BPD-C group - patients undergoing treatment as usual (TAU)

NO INTERVENTION

Patients with BPD who are on the waiting list and who receive treatment as usual (typically standard individual psychotherapy not specifically focused on BPD treatment and/or psychiatric treatment).

HC group: healthy controls

NO INTERVENTION

Healthy controls matched to the BPD-DBT group for age and education. Participants without mental health problems and/or a history of self-harm or suicidal behavior. This group receives no psychotherapy or psychiatric treatment.

Interventions

Dialectical behavior therapy BEHAVIORAL

A complex psychotherapy program for patients with borderline personality disorder.

BPD-DBT group - patients undergoing DBT program.

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 16 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• diagnosis of borderline personality disorder according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5th Edition (DSM-5) criteria (rated by Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 for Personality Disorders, BPD section)
• minimum age 16, informed consent of the patient
• informed consent of patient's legal representative in case of patients under age 18
• more than one self-injury incident and/or suicidal attempt in the past six months

You may not qualify if:

• neurological disorder
• comorbid affective disorder or schizophrenia-related disorder
• intelligence quotient\<70
• contraindications for MRI measurement
• pregnancy
• body mass index under 15
• BPD-C group:
• diagnosis of borderline personality disorder according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5th Edition (DSM-5) criteria (rated by Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 for Personality Disorders, BPD section)
• minimum age 16, informed consent of the patient
• informed consent of patient's legal representative in case of patients under age 18
• more than one self-injury incident and/or suicidal attempt in the past six months
• completing a DBT program or attending DBT-based therapy
• neurological disorder
• comorbid affective disorder or schizophrenia-related disorder
• intelligence quotient\<70

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Masarykova Univerzita: lead
• Brno University Hospital: collaborator
• Masaryk University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University

Brno, Czech Republic, 62500, Czechia

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Borderline Personality Disorder

Interventions

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personality Disorders; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior Therapy; Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities

Study Officials

• Pavel Theiner, Ph.D.

  University Hospital Brno

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 28, 2025
• First Posted: March 18, 2025
• Study Start: August 27, 2020
• Primary Completion: August 10, 2023
• Study Completion: August 15, 2023
• Last Updated: March 18, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Time Frame: One year after publication of the results.
• Access Criteria: Access requests can be submitted by email to Central contact person: Pavla Horká Linhartová.

Locations

CZ (1)