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The Neurobiology of Empathy in Borderline Personality Disorder

  • Personality Disorders (C Schmahl, Section Editor)
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Abstract

We present a neurobiological model of empathic dysfunction in borderline personality disorder (BPD) to guide future empirical research. Empathy is a necessary component of interpersonal functioning, involving two distinct, parallel neural networks. One form of empathic processing relies on shared representations (SR) of others’ mental states, while the other is associated with explicit mental state attribution (MSA). SR processing is visceral and automatic, contributing to attunement, but also emotional contagion. MSA processing contributes to deliberate, perspectival forms of empathic understanding. Empathic dysfunction in BPD may involve hyper-reactivity of SR networks and impairment of MSA networks. Nevertheless, this empathic dysfunction is subtle, but contributes to interpersonal difficulties. Interaction between genetic factors and traumatic attachment stressors may contribute to development of BPD, with painful attachment insecurity and disorganization affecting SR and MSA network functioning. Future avenues for BPD research will include developmental assessment of attachment and neurobiological functioning under varying conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry One Gustave L. Levy Place, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Box 1230, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    Luis H. Ripoll & Larry J. Siever

  2. New York Psychoanalytic Institute, New York, NY, USA

    Luis H. Ripoll

  3. Department of Psychology, Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Rebekah Snyder

  4. Department of Psychology, New School for Social Research, New York, NY, USA

    Howard Steele

  5. James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Bronx, NY, USA

    Larry J. Siever

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  1. Luis H. Ripoll
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  2. Rebekah Snyder
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  4. Larry J. Siever
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Correspondence to Luis H. Ripoll.

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Ripoll, L.H., Snyder, R., Steele, H. et al. The Neurobiology of Empathy in Borderline Personality Disorder. Curr Psychiatry Rep 15, 344 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-012-0344-1

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