Ebert A, et al. – The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship of plasma oxytocin (OT) levels in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) patients with the experience of compassion and recalled parental behavior during childhood. Researchers reported that lower OT levels were observed in patients with BPD. They discovered that peripheral OT appeared to be associated with the tolerance of compassionate feelings and early experiences with caregivers. This was consistent with other discoveries that OT is an important mediator of the experience of emotional warmth from others.

Methods

• For this purpose, 57 BPD patients and 43 healthy controls were included.
• OT plasma levels were investigated by radioimmunoassay.
• Subjects also finished questionnaires focusing on fears of compassion (FOC) and recalled upbringing (“Questionnaire of Recalled Parental Rearing Behavior/Fragebogen zum erinnerten elterlichen Erziehungsverhalten,” FEE).

Results

• The analysis in this study showed that BPD patients had significantly lower OT plasma levels than healthy controls and differed significantly on all FOC and FEE scales; BPD patients had higher FOC scores (indicating more aversion of being compassionate to themselves and others and receiving compassion from others).
• They also differed in recalled parenting.
• Scores of the FOC scale “fear of compassion from others” were significantly negatively correlated with OT levels in the BPD group.
• Recalled “emotional warmth” of their parents during childhood was positively correlated with OT plasma levels of BPD subjects.
• However, no such correlations were found in the control group.