Borderline personality disorder is a complex clinical entity, where emotional dysregulation, according to Linehan definition, plays a central role in psychopathology development. In the last years, functional neuroimaging research has investigated emotional process, by applying emotional challenging paradigms.

The aim of the study is to review the literature about emotional dysregulation and neuronal correlates in borderline personality disorder.

searches were undertaken in PubMed and other databases, from 2007 until 2012, using keywords ‘Borderline personality disorder’, ‘emotional dysregulation’, ‘neuroimaging’.

Emotional vulnerability, sensitivity and intensity for aversive emotional stimuli are greater in borderline personality disorder. Affective instability, with sudden mood shifts to negative feelings. Imaging studies reveal frontolimbic network dysfuncion, caractherized by amygdalar hiperactivity in conjunction with prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex hipoactivity.

Neuroimaging research data support the model of emotional dysregulation with frontolimbic inhibition in borderline personality disorder. More studies focused on diferentiation between negative and positive emotional experiences processes, and on gender and comorbilities with axis I disorders will be useful.