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Cognitive Control of Negative Stimuli in BPD

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Borderline Personality Disorder
Registration Number
NCT03636139
Lead Sponsor
Freie Universität Berlin
Brief Summary

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by impairments in the cognitive control of negative information. These impairments in cognitive control are presumably due to blunted activity of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) along with enhanced activations of the limbic system. However, the impact of an excitatory stimulation of the dlPFC still needs to be elucidated. In the present study, we therefore assigned 50 patients with BPD and 50 healthy controls to receive either anodal or sham stimulation of the right dlPFC in a double-blind, randomized, between-subjects design.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
100
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Response latenciesResponse latencies were exclusively measured during the assigned interventions, which lasted approx. 20 minutes. No further time points were assessed.

Response latencies were measured in the context of a delayed working memory task. In this paradigm, each trial started with a fixation cross (1000 ms), followed by the presentation of six target letters (1500 ms), which participants were asked to memorize. After a variable distracter period (i.e., interference duration of 1000, 2000, or 4000 ms), participants were presented a recognition display (until a response was made) and had to decide whether the presented letter was part of the initial set of letters. In half of the trials, the recognition display contained a previously presented target. The distracter period of the experimental paradigm was manipulated with regard to the factors valence (grey background screen, or neutral, or negative stimuli) and interference duration (1000, 2000, or 4000 ms). Neutral and negative affective stimuli were selected from the International Affective Picture System.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
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