Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder show larger preferred social distance in live dyadic interactions

Personal space (PS) regulation is a key component of effective social engagement. PS varies among individuals and is regulated by brain circuits involving the amygdala and the frontoparietal network. Others have reported that simulated PS intrusions suggest larger preferred interpersonal distance (PID) and a central role of amygdala hyperactivity in PS regulation in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). This study is the first report of live interpersonal distance preferences and relation to specific symptoms in BPD. We found a 2-fold larger PID in BPD than control (n=30, n=23). There were no significant differences in PID in BPD subject by medication status or pre-study diagnosis, and no significant correlations between PID and intensity of BPD, mood, anxiety, impulsive, or psychotic symptoms. In summary, PID is larger in BPD than control subjects. Unexpectedly, BPD subject PID did not differ in by medication status and did not correlate with intensity of any of the symptom types tested. We discuss these findings in context of severe attachment disturbances in BPD and the relationship between metaphoric social distance in the attachment framework. Future work is needed to identify neural circuits underlying PS regulation in BPD, individual differences in attachment, and relationship to symptom trajectory.
Comment: pre-print