Neurobiological correlates of diagnosis and underlying traits in patients with borderline personality disorder compared with normal controls

Paris, Joel; Zweig-Frank, Hallie; Ng Ying Kin, N.M.K; Schwartz, George; Steiger, Howard; Nair, N.P.V

doi:10.1016/S0165-1781(03)00237-3

Next »Psychiatry Research
Volume 121, Issue 3 , Pages 239-252, 1 January 2004

Neurobiological correlates of diagnosis and underlying traits in patients with borderline personality disorder compared with normal controls

Joel Paris
- Institute of Community and Family Psychiatry, SMBD-Jewish General Hospital, 4333 Chemin de la Côte Ste. Catherine, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3T 1E4
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3A 1A1
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-514-340-8210; fax: +1-514-340-7507
Hallie Zweig-Frank
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H4B 1R6
N.M.K Ng Ying Kin
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3A 1A1
- Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
George Schwartz
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3A 1A1
- Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
Howard Steiger
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3A 1A1
- Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
N.P.V Nair
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3A 1A1
- Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Verdun, Quebec, Canada

Received 5 November 2002; received in revised form 28 August 2003; accepted 1 September 2003.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that borderline personality disorder (BPD) and its underlying traits are associated with abnormalities in neurotransmitter systems. Subjects were 30 women with BPD and 22 normal controls, assessed using the Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines, revised, the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-A) and the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A), the Diagnostic Assessment of Personality Pathology, the Buss–Durkee Guilt-Hostility Inventory, the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS), and challenge tests to measure serotonergic, cholinergic and noradrenergic activity. Borderline subjects with high HAM-A and HAM-D scores showed a faster time to peak in prolactin response to meta-chlorphenylpiperazine (m-CPP) challenge. Borderline subjects with high BIS scores showed prolactin blunting. There were no differences in cortisol response to m-CPP, or on the cholinergic and noradrenergic challenges. The results suggest that impulsive traits in borderline patients are associated with abnormalities in serotonergic systems.

Keywords: Borderline personality disorder, Impulsivity, Affective instability, Challenge tests, Serotonin, Neurobiology