The Role of the Hippocampus in Borderline Personality Disorder: Structural and Functional Abnormalities
Owen R. Thornton *
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Wenjun Li
Department of Craniofacial Biomedicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Hunter Cole
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Isabella Cólon
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This review article discusses the structural and functional abnormalities observed in the hippocampus of individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). The hippocampus plays a critical role in regulating emotions and memories, which has been implicated in the pathophysiology of BPD. The review summarizes the findings from various studies that have used neuroimaging techniques to investigate the hippocampus in BPD. The results suggest that individuals with BPD exhibit reduced hippocampal volume, altered hippocampal activation patterns, and disrupted connectivity with other brain regions. These abnormalities have been linked to several clinical features of BPD, including emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and unstable self-image. The review also discusses potential mechanisms underlying these abnormalities, such as childhood trauma and chronic stress. Overall, this review highlights the importance of the hippocampus in the etiology of BPD and emphasizes the need for further research to understand its role in this complex disorder fully.
Keywords: Hippocampus, borderline personality disorder, structural abnormalities, functional abnormalities, neuroimaging