Brain MRI of teenage girls with borderline personality disorder, with and without PTSD
NEUROIMAGERIE DU TROUBLE DE LA PERSONNALITE BORDERLINE A L'ADOLESCENCE AVEC ET SANS TROUBLE DE STRESS POST-TRAUMATIQUE
This project will use MRI scans to see if hippocampus size and other brain measures differ between adolescent girls with borderline personality disorder who do and do not have PTSD.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 99 (estimated) |
| Ages | 13 Years to 18 Years |
| Sex | Female |
| Sponsor | University Hospital, Caen Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Caen) |
| Trial ID | NCT04852744 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This interventional imaging project enrolls female adolescents (13–17) with borderline personality disorder, some of whom also meet criteria for PTSD, plus a healthy control group, and collects brain MRI data. The primary focus is on hippocampal volume and hippocampal subfields, with additional analyses of fronto-limbic white matter and resting brain activity. Clinical measures of general psychopathology, PTSD symptom intensity, attachment, emotion regulation, attention/executive function, mentalization, and autobiographical memory are collected and linked to imaging findings. Participants are followed cross-sectionally and with a planned 18-month longitudinal link between brain measures and symptom trajectories.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Female adolescents aged 13–17 who speak French, have DSM-5 borderline personality disorder, can provide assent with parental consent, and have a general psychopathology level compatible with participation (CGA-S > 20) are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Boys, people outside the 13–17 age range, non‑French speakers, those without BPD, or adolescents with clinical instability that prevents safe MRI participation are unlikely to benefit from joining this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify brain markers that help distinguish BPD with versus without PTSD in adolescents and guide more targeted monitoring or treatment strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Prior neuroimaging studies in adolescents and adults have reported fronto-limbic and hippocampal changes in BPD and in PTSD, so the approach builds on existing findings though direct longitudinal comparisons in adolescent girls are relatively limited.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: For the 3 groups: * female * Age between 13 and 17 years inclusive * Oral and written comprehension of the French language * Affiliation to the social security scheme * Informed consent signed by the legal representatives holding the exercise of parental authority and the adolescent herself For patients: * Diagnosis of borderline personality disorder according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for mental disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013; SIDP-IV) * Level of general psychopathology compatible with participation in the study (score\> 20 on the CGA-S) TB + / PTSD + group: \- Post-traumatic stress disorder according to DSM-5 criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; K-SADS-PL) In the control group : * Absence of mental disorder according to DSM-5 criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; K-SADS-PL and SIDP-IV) * Oral and written comprehension of the French language * Informed consent signed by the legal representative, the holder (s) of the exercise of parental authority and the adolescent herself Exclusion Criteria: * \- Illiteracy / illiteracy * Sensory disorder (visual, auditory) * Severe chronic psychiatric comorbidity: autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, schizophrenia spectrum disorder and other psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder * Severe or current brain pathology (chronic neurological disease, encephalitis, history of severe head trauma), alertness disorder * History of anoxic coma * Contraindication to MRI (magnetic foreign body, claustrophobia, contraindication to prolonged lying down) * Severe physical pathology in progress * Moving outside the Normandy region planned within 18 months * The inclusion of the subject in another biomedical research protocol (during the present study) * Intellectual deficit (IQ \<70) * Pregnant or breastfeeding women
Where this trial is running
Caen
- Caen University Hospital — Caen, France (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Fabian Guénolé, Pr.
- Email: guenole-f@chu-caen.fr
- Phone: +33 (0) 231 272 309
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.