Institute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Heidelberg, Hauptstrasse 47-51, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
Biol Psychol. 2011 Dec;88(2-3):227-32. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.08.006. Epub 2011 Aug 30.
High levels of alexithymia, a personality trait closely associated with emotion dysregulation, have been found in several psychiatric disorders including borderline personality disorder (BPD). Both BPD and alexithymia have been related to impaired cortical inhibition; however, this relationship has not been tested directly. The aim of the present study was, therefore, to investigate whether cortical inhibition is modulated by alexithymia in BPD. Fifteen BPD patients with Toronto-Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) scores ≥61, 14 BPD patients with TAS-20 <61, and 16 healthy controls were examined using different TMS paradigms. High-alexithymia patients showed a shortened cortical silent period (CSP) compared to low-alexithymia patients and controls. Additionally, a significant inverse correlation was found between the TAS-20, the left CSP and the left transcallosal conduction time. These findings indicate that alexithymia is associated with changes in GABAergic neurotransmission and facilitated transcallosal inhibition. The results highlight the importance of considering alexithymia in BPD.
高水平的述情障碍，一种与情绪调节障碍密切相关的人格特质，已在几种精神疾病中发现，包括边缘型人格障碍（BPD）。BPD 和述情障碍都与皮质抑制受损有关；然而，这种关系尚未得到直接检验。因此，本研究的目的是探讨述情障碍是否调节 BPD 中的皮质抑制。使用不同的 TMS 范式检查了 15 名 TAS-20 评分≥61 的 BPD 患者、14 名 TAS-20<61 的 BPD 患者和 16 名健康对照者。高述情障碍患者的皮质静息期（CSP）比低述情障碍患者和对照组短。此外，TAS-20 与左侧 CSP 和左侧皮质间抑制传导时间之间存在显著的负相关。这些发现表明，述情障碍与 GABA 能神经传递的变化和促进的皮质间抑制有关。结果强调了在 BPD 中考虑述情障碍的重要性。
