Clinical and morphological cerebral features of borderline personalità disorder and bipolar disorder

Borderline Personalità Disorder (BPD) and Bipolar disorder are serious chronic disorders and represent a significant source of individual morbidity and societal costs. Recent studies have begun focussing attention on the relation that might exist between BPD and BD, with researchers conceptualising the existence of a bipolar spectrum that views BPD as a milder variant of this spectrum. Currently available data, however, do not support these conclusions, although they do allow for the hypothesis of partially overlapping aetiologies (Paris J et al., 2007). Neuroimaging techniques may help clarify the debate and identify morphostructural and functional cerebral patterns associated with the two disorders. Aim of this project is to study morphostructural cerebral features associated with BPD and BD using advanced neuriomaging tools and to assess whether an association between specific cerebral areas/circuits and clinical features exists. The clarification of the “bipolar spectrum” hypothesis could help clinicians to choose the most appropriate therapeutic options among those available. The project is coordinated by IRCCS San Giovanni di Dio, Brescia and involves 3 European centres: San Giovanni Calibita Hospital, Rome, Sant Joan de Déu Hospital, Barcelona, and the Barmherzige Brüder Hospital, Graz.