The regulation of emotions associated with social exclusion: modulating effects of tDCS on patients with borderline personality disorder

Abstract Background. Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) show negative emotional reactions following both social exclusion and normally including scenarios; only experimental conditions of extreme inclusion decrease BPD patients’ rejection-related emotions to levels comparable healthy individuals. At the brain level, are mediated by right Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex (rVLPFC). Among subjects, neuromodulation this region means transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) decreases responses pain exclusion. However, no study yet evaluated whether, among patients, tDCS on rVLPFC reduces intense elicited inclusion. Methods: Forty patients (36 females) were randomly assigned receive either real or sham while, in a one session experiment, they socially included, then excluded, finally overincluded using Cyberball paradigm. Participants self-reported their level after each condition. Results. Overall, reported high ostracism condition, intermediate low overinclusion tDCS, compared stimulation, reduced overall conditions. did not influence Conclusion: Our results showed that applied helped downregulate excluding interactions. Conversely, group manifested higher these A ceiling effect was hypothesized for findings improve evidence involvement perceived provide new data effects patients. Research Category Technology Methods Clinical Research: 9. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Keywords: Disorder, Cortex, Stimulation, Social