TY - JOUR
T1 - Emotional responsiveness in borderline personality disorder
T2 - The role of basal hyperarousal and self-reported emotional regulation
AU - Bortolla, Roberta
AU - Roder, Emanuela
AU - Ramella, Pietro
AU - Fossati, Andrea
AU - Maffei, Cesare
PY - 2019/3/1
Y1 - 2019/3/1
N2 - The present study aims to test the hypothesis of biological hyperarousal and hyperreactivity underpinning the dysfunctional emotional processes of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Self-reported (quality and intensity of emotions) and physiological (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA] and heart rate) data were collected in 14 clinical subjects with BPD and in 14 control subjects (healthy controls [HCs]), during the administration of six video clips with different emotional contents. Our findings showed a constant hyperarousal state (lower RSA) in the clinical group, supporting the hypothesis of a biological vulnerability to emotional dysregulation. BPD patients showed lower self-reported happiness in positive stimuli compared with HCs and a significant association between emotional dysregulation and physiological hyperreactivity to neutral stimuli. Our data support the hypothesis of a constant condition of physiological preparedness to threat and danger in BPD subjects. Moreover, our results highlight the influence of self-reported ability in regulating emotions in explaining BPD responses to specific emotional situations.
AB - The present study aims to test the hypothesis of biological hyperarousal and hyperreactivity underpinning the dysfunctional emotional processes of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Self-reported (quality and intensity of emotions) and physiological (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA] and heart rate) data were collected in 14 clinical subjects with BPD and in 14 control subjects (healthy controls [HCs]), during the administration of six video clips with different emotional contents. Our findings showed a constant hyperarousal state (lower RSA) in the clinical group, supporting the hypothesis of a biological vulnerability to emotional dysregulation. BPD patients showed lower self-reported happiness in positive stimuli compared with HCs and a significant association between emotional dysregulation and physiological hyperreactivity to neutral stimuli. Our data support the hypothesis of a constant condition of physiological preparedness to threat and danger in BPD subjects. Moreover, our results highlight the influence of self-reported ability in regulating emotions in explaining BPD responses to specific emotional situations.
KW - biological vulnerability
KW - Borderline personality disorder
KW - emotional dysregulation
KW - emotional reactivity
KW - polyvagal theory
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85062681379&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85062681379&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000939
DO - 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000939
M3 - Article
C2 - 30720601
AN - SCOPUS:85062681379
VL - 207
SP - 175
EP - 183
JO - Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
JF - Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
SN - 0022-3018
IS - 3
ER -