Neuropsychological Dysfunction in Borderline Personality Disorder

This paper presents evidence for neuropsychological deficits in borderline patients. A group of 25 outpatients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder according to DSM-III criteria and the Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines was compared to 25 matched archival controls on a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. The performance of the borderline patients was significantly impaired on visuospatial tasks requiring learning and recall of novel complex information and on tasks measuring visuospatial discrimination, speed, and fluency. These findings do not appear related to current major depression, psychomotor, or attention problems. The observed deficits suggest new ways of understanding the development and maintenance of the disorder and provide indications for treatment.