title: Phenelzine, imipramine, and placebo in borderline patients meeting criteria for atypical depression.
abstract: In planning psychopharmacologic treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), three partially validated subtypes should be considered. The validity of the schizotypal subtype is supported by their favorable response to neuroleptics as well as by familial and genetic studies. The validity of emotionally unstable character disorder (EUCD) is supported by the presence of neurological soft signs, their negative response to antidepressants, and their positive response to chlorpromazine and lithium. The data presented in this paper suggest that some patients who meet borderline criteria and have atypical depression (patients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for major depression or dysthymia who have reactive mood and any atypical symptoms) clearly benefit from treatment with antidepressant medication. Although some patients with atypical depression who meet borderline criteria will improve with tricyclic therapy, a significantly greater proportion will improve with the monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), phenelzine.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Parsons
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Quitkin
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McGrath
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tricamo
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ocepek-Welikson
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Rabkin
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Wager
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nunes
mesh_terms: D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007099:Imipramine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010624:Phenelzine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010919:Placebos
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D010624:Phenelzine; D007099:Imipramine