Kim Goldstein, M.A.

Shipley Award Recipient - 2011

Abstract:

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) are two types of personality disorders characterized by inflexible and pervasive behavioral patterns thatcan lead to significant functional impairment. Although they are sometimes viewed as resulting from environmental factors, a large body of evidence suggests that individuals with BPD and SPD, respectively, exhibit difficulties associated with demonstrable neuroanatomical correlates. Specifically, functional andstructural studies most frequently implicate frontal and temporal brain abnormalities in both disorders. Given this evidence, an important next step is to determine whether such abnormalities may be related to alterations in the connectivity of temporal and frontal lobe regions. This study expands upon recent reports that fronto-temporal connectivity disturbances in BPD and SPD may reflect disruptions in the white matter tracts that link these brain regions. Specifically, it will investigate two prominent white matter bundles connecting frontal and temporal cortex regions: the cingulum bundle and the uncinate fasciculus among BPD, SPD, and healthy control (HC) individuals.