Task-Based fMRI Reveals a Diagnosis-Dependent Amygdala Lateralization in Major Depressive Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Comorbidities.

Wanrong Peng, Haiyan Liao, Sainan Cai, Zhaoxia Liu, Kaili Zheng, Huihui Yang, Mingtian Zhong, Changlian Tan, Jinyao Yi

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Article in Neuroscience bulletin, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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9 authors.

Wanrong PengMedical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China.

Haiyan LiaoDepartment of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China.

Sainan CaiDepartment of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China.

Zhaoxia LiuMedical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China.

Kaili ZhengMedical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China.

Huihui YangMedical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China.

Mingtian ZhongCenter for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.

Changlian TanDepartment of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China.

Jinyao YiMedical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China. jinyaoyi@csu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4814-368X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study examined whether major depressive disorder (MDD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) comorbidity (MDD-BPD) represents an additive pathophysiology or a distinct neurobiological entity using amygdala-focused neuroimaging. Participants (n = 217) underwent fMRI during an emotional face-matching task. An independent clinical sample (n = 1,032) was applied to identify comorbidity bridging factors. Mediation analysis examined whether each comorbidity factor independently mediated the association between amygdala functional lateralization and comorbid diagnostic status. BPD-only patients showed right-lateralized amygdala hyperreactivity, which was absent in the MDD-only group, and the MDD-BPD group exhibited bilateral amygdala activation. The combined BPD group (BPD-only and MDD-BPD) showed bilateral amygdala hyperreactivity versus controls, whereas combined MDD groups (MDD-only and MDD-BPD) exhibited left-lateralized hyperreactivity. Two comorbidity bridging factors (emotional instability and negative self-concept) were identified, and each independently mediated the relationship between amygdala lateralization and comorbidity. Cumulatively, MDD-BPD comorbidity represents a neurobiologically distinct diagnosis-dependent syndrome characterized by disorder-specific amygdala activation patterns and transdiagnostic psychological vulnerability.

Indexed as

AmygdalaBorderline personality disorderBridging factorsComorbidityEmotion processingLateralizationMajor depressive disorder

Identifiers

PMID42771073

DOI10.1186/s40479-023-00229-w

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.