Mindfulness-based Neurofeedback to Augment Psychotherapy for Adults with Borderline Personality Disorder

Launched by YALE UNIVERSITY · Jun 4, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is testing a new approach to help adults with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) by combining mindfulness-based neurofeedback with traditional psychotherapy. Neurofeedback is a technique that helps people learn to control their brain activity, and in this study, it is used alongside therapy to see if it can enhance the benefits of treatment. The goal is to determine if this combination can improve emotional regulation and overall well-being for individuals struggling with BPD.

To participate in the trial, you need to be between 18 and 60 years old and meet specific criteria that confirm a diagnosis of BPD. You should be able to understand and sign consent forms, and you must be fluent in English. It's important that you are not currently receiving certain types of therapy, like Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and you should not have a history of serious mental health issues or medical conditions that would prevent you from undergoing an MRI scan. If you join the study, you can expect to receive both the neurofeedback training and psychotherapy, while also keeping any medications and therapy you currently have consistent throughout the trial.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion criteria:
• • age 18-60,
• • be able to provide written informed consent,
• • meet criteria for BPD on semi-structured clinical interview,
• • able to plan to keep any prescribed medications and psychotherapy constant during the study
• • fluent in English.
• Exclusion criteria:
• • current DBT psychotherapy outside the study
• • lifetime primary psychotic disorder or Bipolar I disorder
• • developmental disorder (e.g. autism)
• • history of learning disorder
• • moderate or severe substance use disorder in the last 6 months
• • active suicidal ideation with intent or plan in the past 3 months
• • history of major medical or neurologic disorder
• • MRI contraindications, including pregnancy
• • poor performance on reading task (WRAT \> 11 errors)
• • newly prescribed medications in the past 8 weeks
• • daytime sedating medications (e.g. benzodiazepines, opiates, sedating neuroleptics)
• • any scheduled daily benzodiazepines
• • change in psychotherapy type or frequency in the past 12 weeks.
• • At the discretion of the study PI
• • Eligibility will be determined by study personnel.

Trial Officials