TY - JOUR
T1 - Borderline personality disorder and childhood trauma
T2 - Exploring the affected biological systems and mechanisms
AU - Cattane, Nadia
AU - Rossi, Roberta
AU - Lanfredi, Mariangela
AU - Cattaneo, Annamaria
PY - 2017/1/1
Y1 - 2017/1/1
N2 - Background: According to several studies, the onset of the Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) depends on the combination between genetic and environmental factors (GxE), in particular between biological vulnerabilities and the exposure to traumatic experiences during childhood. We have searched for studies reporting possible alterations in several biological processes and brain morphological features in relation to childhood trauma experiences and to BPD. We have also looked for epigenetic mechanisms as they could be mediators of the effects of childhood trauma in BPD vulnerability. Discussion: We prove the role of alterations in Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, in neurotrasmission, in the endogenous opioid system and in neuroplasticity in the childhood trauma-associated vulnerability to develop BPD; we also confirm the presence of morphological changes in several BPD brain areas and in particular in those involved in stress response. Summary: Not so many studies are available on epigenetic changes in BPD patients, although these mechanisms are widely investigated in relation to stress-related disorders. A better comprehension of the biological and epigenetic mechanisms, affected by childhood trauma and altered in BPD patients, could allow to identify "at high risk" subjects and to prevent or minimize the development of the disease later in life.
AB - Background: According to several studies, the onset of the Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) depends on the combination between genetic and environmental factors (GxE), in particular between biological vulnerabilities and the exposure to traumatic experiences during childhood. We have searched for studies reporting possible alterations in several biological processes and brain morphological features in relation to childhood trauma experiences and to BPD. We have also looked for epigenetic mechanisms as they could be mediators of the effects of childhood trauma in BPD vulnerability. Discussion: We prove the role of alterations in Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, in neurotrasmission, in the endogenous opioid system and in neuroplasticity in the childhood trauma-associated vulnerability to develop BPD; we also confirm the presence of morphological changes in several BPD brain areas and in particular in those involved in stress response. Summary: Not so many studies are available on epigenetic changes in BPD patients, although these mechanisms are widely investigated in relation to stress-related disorders. A better comprehension of the biological and epigenetic mechanisms, affected by childhood trauma and altered in BPD patients, could allow to identify "at high risk" subjects and to prevent or minimize the development of the disease later in life.
KW - Borderline personality disorder
KW - Childhood trauma
KW - Endogenous opioid system
KW - Epigenetic mechanisms
KW - HPA axis
KW - Neuroimaging studies
KW - Neuroplasticity
KW - Neurotransmission
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85027588651&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85027588651&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s12888-017-1383-2
DO - 10.1186/s12888-017-1383-2
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85027588651
VL - 17
JO - BMC Psychiatry
JF - BMC Psychiatry
SN - 1471-244X
IS - 1
M1 - 221
ER -