Methadone-mediated autonomic functioning of male patients with heroin dependence: the influence of borderline personality pattern.
BACKGROUND
We hypothesize that the population with borderline personality shows different autonomic response to methadone compared to individuals with other personalities. This study applies heart rate variability (HRV) measurements and the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) to examine this hypothesis.


RESULTS
Forty-four male patients with heroin dependence were recruited from a methadone maintenance treatment program. Eight personality patterns were classified according to the TPQ norm used in Taiwan. The borderline pattern (BP, composed of high novelty seeking, high harm avoidance and low reward dependence) and the other personality patterns (OP) were separated into two groups. We compared the HRV profiles between the BP and OP groups. Correlation and regression analysis were performed to clarify relationship between HRV differences and the borderline index (BI, a new concept defined by us, which is calculated as novelty seeking + harm avoidance - reward dependence). The HRV targets investigated included low frequency (LF) power, high frequency (HF) power, total power (TP), normalized LF (LF%), and LF/HF. No baseline HRV parameters showed any inter-group difference. The BP group had a significantly lower ΔHF and a higher ΔLF/HF than the OP group. The personality dimension, reward dependence, showed a negative correlation with ΔLF/HF and ΔLF%. BI was negatively correlated with ΔHF and positively correlated with ΔLF/HF and ΔLF%.


CONCLUSIONS
Borderline personality individuals show increased sympathetic activity and decreased parasympathetic activity compared to other personalities after taking methadone. The results support the hypothesis that there is an interaction between borderline personality and autonomic modulation.
Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Yun-Lin Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan.
Wei-Lieh
WL
Huang
Yu-Hsuan
YH
Lin
Terry B J
TB
Kuo
Li-Ren
LR
Chang
Ying-Zai
YZ
Chen
Cheryl C H
CC
Yang
D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects*; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009294:Narcotics / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan
D009294:Narcotics; D008691:Methadone