title: Higher executive control and visual memory performance predict treatment completion in borderline personality disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-completion of a prescribed course of treatment occurs in 20-60% of individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). While symptom severity, personality traits and environmental factors have been implicated as predictors of treatment non-completion (TNC), there have been no studies of neuropsychological predictors in this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  From a randomized controlled trial, a subsample of 31, unmedicated outpatients diagnosed with BPD with recent self-injurious behavior was assessed on 5 neuropsychological domains. Patients were also assessed for general IQ, demographic and other salient clinical variables. Patients were randomized to one of four treatment conditions, which lasted up to 1 year. Number of weeks in treatment (WIT) up to 1 year was utilized as the index of TNC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-three percent of the subsample (n = 12) did not complete 1 year of treatment. However, more WIT were predicted by better baseline executive control (Trails B; p < 0.01) and visual memory performance (Benton visual retention; p < 0.001); other neuropsychological domains did not predict WIT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the treatment of outpatients with BPD, better executive control and visual memory performance predict more WIT. Assessing and addressing these neurocognitive factors in treatment may reduce TNC in this high-risk population.
authors: Subprogram in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, City University of New York, New York 10031, USA. efertuck@ccny.cuny.edu
authors: Eric A
authors: EA
authors: Fertuck
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Keilp
authors: Inkyung
authors: I
authors: Song
authors: Melissa C
authors: MC
authors: Morris
authors: Scott T
authors: ST
authors: Wilson
authors: Beth S
authors: BS
authors: Brodsky
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Stanley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010919:Placebos; D011613:Psychotherapy; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D014796:Visual Perception
chemical_list: D005473:Fluoxetine; D010919:Placebos; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors