Amygdala neurofeedback as an adjunct to residential dialectical behavior therapy for borderline personality disorder: a pilot randomized controlled trial - Scorecard - MDSpire
Clinical Scorecard: Pilot Randomized Trial of Amygdala Neurofeedback Added to Residential Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder
At a Glance
Category
Detail
Condition
Clinical topic addressed by the source article: Pilot Randomized Trial of Amygdala Neurofeedback Added to Residential Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder
Key Mechanisms
Mechanisms or clinical associations described in the source article.
Target Population
Adults aged 18–50 receiving a 12-week residential DBT program who met at least five DSM criteria for BPD and had a BSL-23 score ≥1.5 after six weeks of treatment. The eligibility threshold was reduced from 1.87 during recruitment.
Care Setting
Care setting described in the source article.
Key Highlights
This randomized pilot study examined amygdala neurofeedback added to residential DBT versus treatment as usual.
Participants assigned to neurofeedback completed three sessions, each with two training runs.
The primary endpoint was daily-life instability of negative affect assessed by ecological momentary assessment.
The study included planned assessments at three and six months; self-report and neural outcomes were secondary endpoints.
The authors stated that the sample was more suitable for generating preliminary evidence than definitively evaluating efficacy.
Guideline-Based Recommendations
Diagnosis
Management
Monitoring & Follow-up
The study used four-day EMA periods before treatment, after treatment, and at three-month follow-up.
MRI assessments were conducted at baseline, immediately after treatment, and at three-month follow-up.
Risks
Study exclusions included pregnancy, epilepsy, significant neurological illness, specified psychiatric diagnoses, and MRI safety contraindications.
Patient & Prescribing Data
Adults aged 18–50 in a 12-week residential DBT program, with BPD and BSL-23 scores ≥1.5 after six weeks; substance use was prohibited during the program.
The neurofeedback group received three sessions with two training runs per session. The supplied article excerpt does not report treatment outcomes or adverse-event results.
Clinical Best Practices
The authors characterized the study as generating preliminary evidence rather than definitively evaluating efficacy, given the sample size.
The study included a treatment-as-usual control arm and planned follow-up assessments at three and six months.
The primary outcome was daily-life instability of negative affect measured with EMA; self-report and neural outcomes were secondary endpoints.
