Affective startle modulation in young people with first-presentation borderline personality disorder. (May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Thompson, Katherine N.; Allen, Nicholas B.; Chong, Simon; Chanen, Andrew M.
• Is Part Of: Psychiatry research. Volume 263(2018)
• Page Start: 166
• Page End: 172
• Publication Date: 2018-05
• Subjects: Borderline personality disorder -- Emotional response -- Affect regulation -- Psychophysiology -- Adolescence -- Startle; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- periodicals; Psychiatrie -- Périodiques; 616.89
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.02.049
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0165-1781

Abstract

Abstract: This study investigated psychophysiological and subjective emotional responses to an affective startle modulation paradigm in first-presentation borderline personality disorder (BPD). Twenty BPD and 20 healthy control participants, aged 15–24 years, viewed a set of standardized pictures with pleasant, neutral, or unpleasant valence, and were instructed to either "maintain" or "suppress" their emotional response to the stimuli. Despite showing markedly higher levels of baseline distress on self-report questionnaires, BPD participants had significantly lower skin conductance responses and showed an absence of the fear potentiated startle response during early picture processing. Both groups showed similar startle responses later in picture processing, and when instructed to "maintain" or "suppress" their emotions. BPD participants were hypo-responsive to aversive stimuli during early processing, and did not react with more intense emotional responses to affective stimuli or show a diminished ability to regulate their responses. These results might be consistent with the finding that hypersensitivity of emotional response in BPD is specific to stimuli with themes of particular relevance to this disorder, such as rejection and abandonment. Highlights: This study investigated the affective startle response in youth with BPD. Youth with BPD had a lower skin conductance response and absence of startle response during early picture processing. BPD participants did not show affective hypersensitivity to positive, neutral or negative facial pictures. Findings provide information about emotional processing in youth with minimal exposure to treatment and illness effects.