Borderline Personality DisorderMENTABNCT01720953
Neuropsychiatric Mechanisms of Change in Mentalization Based Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder (MENTAB)
An observational study of Borderline Personality Disorder, run by Rune Andersen at 1 site in Denmark.
Trial summary
Purpose: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex psychiatric disease of uncertain aetiology and pathogenesis. A key mechanism of disease susceptibility and treatment response could be epigenetic changes in DNA methylation patterns. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 40 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Mentalization Based Therapy
- How many people
- 100 participants
- Where
- 1 siteDenmark
- Study dates
- Oct 2012to Dec 2016
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 40 years
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Study population: Fifty female patients diagnosed with BPD, who will undergo a year of intensive Mentalization Based Therapy at the Psychiatric Clinic Roskilde, Denmark, and a matched healthy control subjects matched on age, gender and socioeconomic status.
Who may be able to join
- Female patients between the ages 18 - 40 with a clinical diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder to undergo a year of Mentalization Based Therapy at the Psychiatric Clinic Roskilde.
- Match patients on age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
Who cannot join
- Severe comorbidity
- Serious medical condition
- Pregnancy
- Healthy control subjects:
- Any mental disorder
- Serious medical condition
- Pregnancy
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Purpose:
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex psychiatric disease of uncertain aetiology and pathogenesis. A key mechanism of disease susceptibility and treatment response could be epigenetic changes in DNA methylation patterns. However, no study has yet demonstrated that psychotherapy can exert its therapeutic effect through epigenetic mechanisms. The main aim of this study is to analyze the promoter methylation pattern of genes considered to be related to the development and psychopathology of BPD, in particular the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glucocorticoid receptor genes, and the effects of mentalization based treatment (MBT) on changes. Associations to changes in BDNF serum levels and salivary cortisol levels, as well as key components of BPD aetiology and core treatment targets in MBT, will also be investigated. Should epigenetic mechanisms have importance for BPD pathology and effects of treatment, there is potential use of DNA methylation patterns as valid biomarker measures of diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment response.
Read more
Hypothesis:
The formation and maintenance of symptoms in BPD is mediated through neuropsychiatric mechanisms that can be affected through psychological treatment. Specifically, aberrant epigenetic regulation of neuropsychiatric genes related to behavioural control and affect regulation, as well as BDNF and cortisol levels, is ameliorated by therapeutic processes.
Method:
Fifty female patients diagnosed with BPD will undergo a year of intensive MBT that is designed to target domains of BPD pathology. The patients will be assessed at baseline and every 6 months over the treatment period. Matched healthy control subjects will be assessed at 6 month intervals to compare changes in DNA methylation, BDNF serum levels, salivary cortisol levels, and neuropsychological test performance. To link components of the neuropsychiatric mechanisms underlying the onset of illness, course, and response to treatment, patients will undergo assessment of clinical symptoms, comorbidity patterns and psychosocial impairment. Patients and control subjects will at baseline undergo assessment for childhood trauma, self-harm, suicidal behavior, early maladaptive schemas, and personality traits, and within the 1-year study period also undergo continuous assessment for changes in symptoms of dissociation, depression, and personality dysfunction.
- Conditions
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Being tested
- Mentalization Based Therapy
- Keywords
- Borderline Personality Disorder, Mentalization Based Therapy, DNA methylation, BDNF, Cortisol, Neuropsychology
- Medical subject headings
- Borderline Personality Disorder
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Mentalization Based TherapyOther
Fifty female patients diagnosed with BPD will undergo a year of intensive Mentalization Based Therapy that is designed to target domains of BPD pathology. The patients will be assessed at baseline and every 6 months over the treatment period.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy control subjects | Matched healthy control subjects will be assessed at 6 month intervals to compare changes in DNA methylation, BDNF serum levels, salivary cortisol levels, and neuropsychological test performance. Healthy control subjects will within the 1-year study period also undergo continuous assessment for comparative changes in symptoms of dissociation, depression, and personality dysfunction. Receives: Other: Mentalization Based Therapy |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Promoter methylation pattern of genes considered to be related to the development and pathology of BPD, in particular the BDNF and glucocorticoid receptor genes
Measured: Assessed at baseline, and after 6 and 12 months
BDNF serum levels
Measured: Assessed at baseline, and after 6 and 12 months
Salivary cortisol levels
Measured: Assessed at baseline, and after 6 and 12 months
Neuropsychological test performance
Assessed by a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests to measure both cognitive and emotion processing, including standard paper-and-pencil tests (WAIS-IV) and selected computerized tests (CANTAB, SuperLab and E-Prime). An interview will be conducted to assess autobiographical memory function.
Measured: Assessed at baseline and after 12 months
Psychopathology
Measured by Zanarini Rating Scale for Borderline Personality Disorder (ZAN-BPD), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), Severity Indices of Personality Problems (SIPP-118), and Dissociative Experiences Scale - Brief (DES-B)
Measured: Assessed before baseline, and after 6 and 12 months
Affect regulation
Measured by Affective Lability Scale (ALS-18), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20)
Measured: Assessed at baseline, and after 6 and 12 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted2 Nov 2012 (estimated)
- Study startOct 2012
- Primary completionDec 2016 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2016 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Borderline Personality DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Rune Andersen
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Psychiatry Roskilde, University of Copenhagen, Psychiatric Epigenetics Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, UK, University of Southern Denmark, Psychoanalysis Unit, University College London, UK, Aarhus University Hospital, University College Zealand, Denmark, Research Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Koege Hospital, Denmark
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Rune Andersen, Region Sjælland
- Investigators
- Erik Simonsen, Professor, MD, Ph.D., Principal investigator, Psychiatric Research Unit, Region Zealand, DenmarkRune Andersen, Ph.D., Study chair, Psychiatric Research Unit, Region Zealand, Denmark
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01720953
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- SJ-311
- Acronym
- MENTAB
- Status last verified
- Jul 2014
- First submitted
- 26 Oct 2012
- Last updated
- 25 Jul 2014
- Results posted
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 25 Jul 2014. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Neuropsychiatric Mechanisms of Change in Mentalization Based Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder (MENTAB)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01720953
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MENTAB / SJ-311
- Conditions
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Keywords
- Borderline Personality Disorder, Mentalization Based Therapy, DNA methylation, BDNF, Cortisol, Neuropsychology
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Terminated
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Rune AndersenUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Psychiatry Roskilde, University of Copenhagen, Psychiatric Epigenetics Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, UK, University of Southern Denmark, Psychoanalysis Unit, University College London, UK, Aarhus University Hospital, University College Zealand, Denmark, Research Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Koege Hospital, Denmark
- Study start
- Oct 2012
- Primary completion
- Dec 2016 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2016 (estimated)
- First posted
- 2 Nov 2012 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Purpose:
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex psychiatric disease of uncertain aetiology and pathogenesis. A key mechanism of disease susceptibility and treatment response could be epigenetic changes in DNA methylation patterns. However, no study has yet demonstrated that psychotherapy can exert its therapeutic effect through epigenetic mechanisms. The main aim of this study is to analyze the promoter methylation pattern of genes considered to be related to the development and psychopathology of BPD, in particular the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glucocorticoid receptor genes, and the effects of mentalization based treatment (MBT) on changes. Associations to changes in BDNF serum levels and salivary cortisol levels, as well as key components of BPD aetiology and core treatment targets in MBT, will also be investigated. Should epigenetic mechanisms have importance for BPD pathology and effects of treatment, there is potential use of DNA methylation patterns as valid biomarker measures of diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment response.
Hypothesis:
The formation and maintenance of symptoms in BPD is mediated through neuropsychiatric mechanisms that can be affected through psychological treatment. Specifically, aberrant epigenetic regulation of neuropsychiatric genes related to behavioural control and affect regulation, as well as BDNF and cortisol levels, is ameliorated by therapeutic processes.
Method:
Fifty female patients diagnosed with BPD will undergo a year of intensive MBT that is designed to target domains of BPD pathology. The patients will be assessed at baseline and every 6 months over the treatment period. Matched healthy control subjects will be assessed at 6 month intervals to compare changes in DNA methylation, BDNF serum levels, salivary cortisol levels, and neuropsychological test performance. To link components of the neuropsychiatric mechanisms underlying the onset of illness, course, and response to treatment, patients will undergo assessment of clinical symptoms, comorbidity patterns and psychosocial impairment. Patients and control subjects will at baseline undergo assessment for childhood trauma, self-harm, suicidal behavior, early maladaptive schemas, and personality traits, and within the 1-year study period also undergo continuous assessment for changes in symptoms of dissociation, depression, and personality dysfunction.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy control subjects | – | Other: Mentalization Based TherapyMatched healthy control subjects will be assessed at 6 month intervals to compare changes in DNA methylation, BDNF serum levels, salivary cortisol levels, and neuropsychological test performance. Healthy control subjects will within the 1-year study period also undergo continuous assessment for comparative changes in symptoms of dissociation, depression, and personality dysfunction. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 40 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
- Study population
- Fifty female patients diagnosed with BPD, who will undergo a year of intensive Mentalization Based Therapy at the Psychiatric Clinic Roskilde, Denmark, and a matched healthy control subjects matched on age, gender and socioeconomic status.
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Female patients between the ages 18 - 40 with a clinical diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder to undergo a year of Mentalization Based Therapy at the Psychiatric Clinic Roskilde.
- Match patients on age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Severe comorbidity
- Serious medical condition
- Pregnancy
- Any mental disorder
- Serious medical condition
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Mentalization Based TherapyFifty female patients diagnosed with BPD will undergo a year of intensive Mentalization Based Therapy that is designed to target domains of BPD pathology. The patients will be assessed at baseline and every 6 months over the treatment period. | Other | Healthy control subjects |
Primary outcome
Promoter methylation pattern of genes considered to be related to the development and pathology of BPD, in particular the BDNF and glucocorticoid receptor genes
Time frame: Assessed at baseline, and after 6 and 12 months
BDNF serum levels
Time frame: Assessed at baseline, and after 6 and 12 months
Salivary cortisol levels
Time frame: Assessed at baseline, and after 6 and 12 months
Neuropsychological test performance
Time frame: Assessed at baseline and after 12 months
Assessed by a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests to measure both cognitive and emotion processing, including standard paper-and-pencil tests (WAIS-IV) and selected computerized tests (CANTAB, SuperLab and E-Prime). An interview will be conducted to assess autobiographical memory function.
Psychopathology
Time frame: Assessed before baseline, and after 6 and 12 months
Measured by Zanarini Rating Scale for Borderline Personality Disorder (ZAN-BPD), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), Severity Indices of Personality Problems (SIPP-118), and Dissociative Experiences Scale - Brief (DES-B)
Affect regulation
Time frame: Assessed at baseline, and after 6 and 12 months
Measured by Affective Lability Scale (ALS-18), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20)
Results and safety
The study was stopped early. Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 25 Jul 2014.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Erik Simonsen, Professor, MD, Ph.D. principal investigator
Psychiatric Research Unit, Region Zealand, Denmark
Rune Andersen, Ph.D. study chair
Psychiatric Research Unit, Region Zealand, Denmark
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Borderline Personality Disorder, run by Rune Andersen at 1 site in Denmark.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 Jul 2014. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Denmark. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study was stopped early. Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Promoter methylation pattern of genes considered to be related to the development and pathology of BPD, in particular the BDNF and glucocorticoid receptor genes (time frame: Assessed at baseline, and after 6 and 12 months). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 25 Jul 2014; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.