People with borderline personality disorder are not prone to empathy due to reduced activity in a number of areas of the brain. So the ability to empathize is a sign of mental health, scientists say.
Psychologists have studied the behavior of people with borderline personality disorder, which manifests itself in the form of emotional instability, sudden and frequent mood swings, and problems in personal relationships. Some previous research has already indicated that those suffering from this disorder have reduced brain activity associated with empathy (compassion for the emotions of another). However, there was evidence that this activity in them may, on the contrary, be increased.
A team of researchers led by psychologist Brian Haas, associate professor at the College of Arts and Sciences. Franklin (USA), decided to find out what happens in the brains of people with borderline personality disorder when they solve a task that involves empathy.
More than 80 volunteers participated in the study. To begin with, they were tested using what is known as the five-factor questionnaire for borderline personality traits to determine how pronounced they were in the personality traits characteristic of this disorder. Participants were then given an empathy task in which they were asked to match the facial expressions in the photographs to different situations. During the task, their brains were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
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“We found that those with the most severe symptoms of borderline disorder on testing had reduced activity in the area of the brain responsible for empathy,” explains co-author of the study, psychologist Joshua Miller (Joshua Miller).
Decreased activity was recorded in two areas of the brain: the temporoparietal ganglion and the superior temporal sulcus. It is generally accepted that both of these areas play a critical role in the processes associated with empathy.
“Borderline disorder is considered one of the most severe personality disorders. It is very difficult for such people to successfully build friendships and romantic relationships. The results of our study shed light on the possible causes of these problems,” says Joshua Miller.
Подробнее см. В. Haas, J. Miller «Borderline Personality Traits and Brain Activity During Emotional Perspective Taking», Personality Disorders, July 2015.