Dyson Tori, Thomas Susan J, Townsend Michelle L, Finch Adam, South Alexandra, Barkus Emma, Walter Emma, Mendonca Carley, Grenyer Brin F S, Pickard Judy A
School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
Front Psychol. 2023 Jul 17;14:1195187. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1195187. eCollection 2023.
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a chronic, debilitating, and difficult to treat condition. BPD has recently been linked to steroid hormone dysregulation and medical conditions characterized by disturbed androgen metabolism. This study aimed to investigate cortisol and testosterone levels in BPD, and changes in hormones following psychological treatment.
Participants with BPD ( = 33) completed a 12-week Dialectical Behavior Therapy group program. Pre and post salivary testosterone and cortisol were analyzed. Baseline hormones in the BPD group were compared to age-and-sex matched controls ( = 33). Non-parametric tests were utilized to investigate group differences, pre-post treatment hormone and symptom changes, and associations between symptoms and hormone levels.
Participants with BPD had significantly higher testosterone levels than controls. Mean testosterone levels in females with BPD were double that of female controls. Testosterone and cortisol levels were related, and some BPD symptoms were associated with with hormone levels. BPD symptoms reduced significantly with treatment, however pre to post hormone levels did not change.
This study supports an association between BPD symptoms and neuroendocrine dysfunction at baseline, however we found no reduction in hormone dysfunction post treatment. Further research into relationships between stress signaling and neuroendocrine disturbances in BPD may inform aetiological and treatment models.
Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12618000477224. Registered on 3 April 2018.
边缘型人格障碍（BPD）是一种慢性、使人衰弱且难以治疗的疾病。BPD最近与类固醇激素失调以及以雄激素代谢紊乱为特征的医学状况有关。本研究旨在调查BPD患者的皮质醇和睾酮水平，以及心理治疗后激素的变化。
33名BPD患者完成了一个为期12周的辩证行为疗法小组项目。分析唾液睾酮和皮质醇治疗前后的水平。将BPD组的基线激素水平与年龄和性别匹配的对照组（33人）进行比较。采用非参数检验来研究组间差异、治疗前后激素和症状的变化，以及症状与激素水平之间的关联。
BPD患者的睾酮水平显著高于对照组。BPD女性患者的平均睾酮水平是女性对照组的两倍。睾酮和皮质醇水平相关，且一些BPD症状与激素水平有关。治疗后BPD症状显著减轻，但激素水平从治疗前到治疗后没有变化。
本研究支持BPD症状与基线时神经内分泌功能障碍之间存在关联，然而我们发现治疗后激素功能障碍并未减轻。对BPD中应激信号与神经内分泌紊乱之间关系的进一步研究可能为病因学和治疗模型提供信息。
澳大利亚新西兰临床试验注册中心ACTRN12618000477224。于2018年4月3日注册。
