title: Acute glucocorticoid effects on response inhibition in borderline personality disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Growing evidence suggests inhibition dysfunctions in borderline personality disorder (BPD). Moreover, abnormalities in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning have also been found in BPD patients. In healthy individuals, response inhibition has been sensitive to acute stress, and previous research indicates that effects mediated by the HPA axis become particularly apparent when emotional stimuli are processed. This study aimed to explore the influence of acute hydrocortisone administration on response inhibition of emotional stimuli in BPD patients compared to healthy control participants.
  
  
  METHODS
  After a single administration of 10mg hydrocortisone or placebo, 32 female BPD patients and 32 healthy female participants performed an adapted emotional go/no-go paradigm to assess response inhibition for emotional face stimuli in a cross-over study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute cortisol elevations decreased the reaction times to target stimuli in both BPD patients and healthy controls. Patients and controls did not differ in task performance; however, BPD patients with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) displayed longer reaction times than patients without PTSD. In contrast, the occurrence of comorbid eating disorder had no significant impact on go/no-go performance. No significant interaction effect between the treatment condition and the emotional valence of the face stimuli was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acute hydrocortisone administration enhances response inhibition of face stimuli in BPD patients and healthy controls, regardless of their emotional valence. Our results agree with the suggestion that moderate cortisol enhancement increases the inhibition of task-irrelevant distracters.
authors: Department of Research, Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Bethel, Ev. Hospital Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Carvalho Fernando
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Beblo
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: Schlosser
authors: Kirsten
authors: K
authors: Terfehr
authors: Oliver Tobias
authors: OT
authors: Wolf
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Otte
authors: Bernd
authors: B
authors: Löwe
authors: Carsten
authors: C
authors: Spitzer
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Driessen
authors: Katja
authors: K
authors: Wingenfeld
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005149:Facial Expression; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Borderline personality disorder; Cortisol; Go/no-go; HPA axis; Response inhibition