title: Similarities and differences in borderline and organic personality disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous research has shown that brain injury patients with Organic Personality Disorder (OPD) may display "borderline" traits due to prefrontal damage, and their personality structure may be unstable and close to a borderline personality organisation. They may have few general neuropsychological dysfunctions but specific executive deficits. Similar deficits have been found in patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The objective of this study was to identify differences and similarities between the neuropsychological and personality profiles of BPD and OPD patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty BPD patients and 24 OPD patients were assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Disorders (SCID-II), the Karolinska Psychodynamic Profile (KAPP), and a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Very few neuropsychological differences were found between the two patient groups. However, the verbal fluency, verbal intelligence, verbal memory, and immediate auditory memory/attention of the BPD patients were significantly poorer than the OPD patients'. The KAPP profiles of the BPD patients showed significantly poorer functioning in three areas: frustration tolerance, the body as a factor of self-esteem, and overall personality organisation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results support our clinical experience and expectations concerning the severity of symptoms of both patient groups. We suggest considering in depth assessments of both neuropsychological and personality-related problems for each of these patients in order to inform treatment.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark.
authors.forename: Birgit B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Mathiesen
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simonsen
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Soegaard
authors.forename: Kajsa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kvist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000374:Aggression; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D007858:Learning; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010551:Personality; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D018401:Sample Size; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012927:Social Control, Informal