Deficits in visual functions and neuropsychological inconsistency in Borderline Personality Disorder.
For Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) cognitive and perceptual impairments were reported in some but not all studies. The aim of the present study was to analyze the neuropsychological performance of BPD patients in different domains. Predominant impairments of visual functions and an increased intra-individual variation of test performances within neuropsychological domains were expected. We investigated 22 patients with BPD and a matched sample of 22 healthy control subjects. A comprehensive clinical and neuropsychological test battery was administered. Effect sizes indicate primarily deficits of visual functions such as visual memory (Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised, WMS-R: Visual pair associates and visual reproduction, Complex Figure Test: Recall) and visuo-spatial abilities (Leistungspruefsystem, LPS 9 and 10: Spatial imagination and embedded figures), but also of executive functions (Tower of Hanoi, Trail Making Test-B, semantic and figural fluency, LPS 4: Reasoning). In addition, the intra-individual ranges of neuropsychological test results in BPD patients were increased compared to those of healthy subjects. This finding might be due to a high degree of temporary stress that interferes with effective cognitive processing. Further research is needed to confirm the present results and to control for stress during the test procedure.
Beblo
Thomas
T
Division of Research, Evaluation and Documentation, Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Bethel, Ev. Hospital Bielefeld, Remterweg 69-71, 33617 Bielefeld, Germany. thomas.beblo@evkb.de
Saavedra
Anamaria Silva
AS
Mensebach
Christoph
C
Lange
Wolfgang
W
Markowitsch
Hans-Joachim
HJ
Rau
Harald
H
Woermann
Friedrich G
FG
Driessen
Martin
M
D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011939:Mental Recall; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*