Emotion-induced memory dysfunction in borderline personality disorder.
BACKGROUND
Although emotional dysregulation is a core problem in borderline personality disorder (BPD), few neuropsychological studies have evaluated the impact of emotion. The present study aimed at the comprehensive investigation of verbal memory functions with and without emotionally relevant interference in BPD. BPD patients were expected to perform as well as healthy subjects in standard memory tasks but to show fewer capacities to control for emotionally negative interference.


METHODS
47 patients with BPD and 70 healthy control subjects participated. An experimental task assessed verbal memory with respect to standard and emotionally relevant and neutral interference learning conditions. Applied standard tests covered working memory, delayed memory, and word fluency.


RESULTS
Memory performances of BPD patients were impaired when negatively valenced interference was conducted but normal in all other conditions. These results remained stable after controlling for comorbid major depression and posttraumatic stress disorder.


CONCLUSIONS
The present findings suggest no general impairment of verbal memory functions in BPD but control and inhibition of interference by emotionally significant material seem to be disturbed.
Mensebach
Christoph
C
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LVR University Hospital Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany. christoph.mensebach@lvr.de
Wingenfeld
Katja
K
Driessen
Martin
M
Rullkoetter
Nina
N
Schlosser
Nicole
N
Steil
Christian
C
Schaffrath
Camille
C
Bulla-Hellwig
Michael
M
Markowitsch
Hans-J
HJ
Woermann
Friedrich G
FG
Beblo
Thomas
T
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D018579:Patient Selection; D012647:Self-Assessment