Borderline Personality Disorder Research Study
Researchers at Yale University and Massachusetts General Hospital are conducting a study on a new treatment protocol for adults with borderline personality disorder.
Fast Facts
Meet criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder
Not in Dialectical Behavior Therapy Treatment
Compensation
Provided Up To $450
Resident of CT or MA
Study Background
Mindfulness-based fMRI neurofeedback for Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline personality disorder, or BPD, is a mental health condition that involves frequent changes in mood, anger, and identity. These experiences may cause distress, leading to impulsive behaviors or relationship difficulties.
In this study, we are testing the potential of new treatment protocol, mindfulness-based neuro-feedback, to augment Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), an evidence-based treatment for BPD. Study activities involve training your brain using live feedback from an MRI scanner, attending a remote weekly dialectical behavior skills class, and completing remote follow-up visits and two in-person follow-up scans. We hope that findings from this study will provide insight about improved treatment options for people living with BPD.
Study Background
Mindfulness-based fMRI neurofeedback for Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline personality disorder, or BPD, is a mental health condition that involves frequent changes in mood, anger, and identity. These experiences may cause distress, leading to impulsive behaviors or relationship difficulties.
In this study, we are testing the potential of new treatment protocol, mindfulness-based neuro-feedback, to augment Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), an evidence-based treatment for BPD. Study activities involve training your brain using live feedback from an MRI scanner, attending a remote weekly dialectical behavior skills class, and completing remote follow-up visits and two in-person follow-up scans. We hope that findings from this study will provide insight about improved treatment options for people living with BPD.
Additional Information
Currently, there are no well-evidenced medications to treat BPD. Evidence-based psychotherapy treatments for BPD exist, but little is known about factors that may improve therapy outcomes. Our research group is committed to investigating new treatment augmentations that may yield symptom improvement and recovery from BPD.
The goal of this study is to understand if mindfulness-based neurofeedback improves response to a dialectical behavior therapy skills group in people with BPD.
You may be eligible for this study if you meet the following criteria.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Ages 18-60
- Meet criteria for borderline personality disorder
- Not currently in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) treatment.
- Able to commute to New Haven, CT or Boston, MA for study visits
- Able to undergo MRI scan (no permanent retainer on top teeth, no claustrophobia)
The first steps in the study are a short phone call and up to 3 Zoom visits to see if you may be eligible for the study. In these visits, you will complete interviews and questionnaires to help inform our eligibility decision.
People who are fully eligible will then:
- Do more interviews and surveys for study data collection on Zoom with study staff.
- Have an in-person visit to complete neuro-feedback scan and interviews at either Yale or Massachusetts General Hospital. This visit lasts around 4 hours.
- Twenty sessions of the psychotherapy (Dialectical Behavior Skills class), which is two hours once a week in the evening on Zoom.
- A Zoom with the study staff about every 5 weeks to check in and do interviews and surveys.
- Two more in-person MRIs to check on brain changes (one at therapy week 16, one 2 months after the end of therapy).
As a participant, you may receive up to $450 for completing the entire study.
There is no cost for you to participate in our research study.