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

Masarykova Univerzita

Status: Completed

Conditions: Borderline Personality Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: Dialectical behavior therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06882330

NU20-04-00410

Details and patient eligibility

About

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

Full description

This project aims to evaluate the behavioral and neural mechanisms of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) effect in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). The project includes three subject groups: patients with BPD undergoing the DBT program (BPD-DBT), control patients with BPD on the waiting list for the program (BPD-control), and healthy controls (HC). Patients in the BPD-DBT group undergo a 24-week DBT program in an outpatient setting. All participants undergo a test battery comprising of self-report measures, clinical evaluation and fMRI and EEG measurement in the week before the DBT program beginning (T1), after 24 weeks (follow-up, T3), and at 24 weeks after T3 (follow-up, T4). The BPD-DBT group undergoes another assessment at T2 (after 12 weeks) to monitor selected symptoms during the DBT program by a short set of questionnaires.

Enrollment: 106 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 16+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

BPD-DBT group:

Inclusion Criteria:

• 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

Exclusion Criteria:

• 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:

Inclusion Criteria:

• 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

Exclusion Criteria:

• completing a DBT program or attending DBT-based therapy
• neurological disorder
• comorbid affective disorder or schizophrenia-related disorder
• intelligence quotient<70
• contraindications for MRI measurement
• pregnancy
• body mass index under 15

HC group:

Inclusion criteria:

• minimum age 16, informed consent of the patient
• informed consent of patient's legal representative in case of patients under age 18

Exclusion criteria:

• mental health problems
• history of self-injury or/and suicidal attempt
• neurological disorder
• intelligence quotient<70
• contraindications for MRI measurement
• pregnancy
• body mass index under 15

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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106 participants in 3 patient groups

BPD-DBT group - patients undergoing DBT program.

Experimental group

Description:

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.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Dialectical behavior therapy

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

No Intervention group

Description:

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 group

Description:

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.