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Cognitive memory control in borderline personality disorder patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 August 2008

M. Sala ,
E. Caverzasi ,
E. Marraffini ,
G. De Vidovich ,
M. Lazzaretti ,
G. d'Allio ,
M. Isola ,
M. Balestrieri ,
E. D'Angelo  and
F. Zappoli Thyrion
...Show all authors
M. Sala*
Affiliation:
Department of Physiological, Pharmacological and Cellular Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy Department of Mental Health, Azienda Sanitaria Locale 21, Casale Monferrato (Alessandria), Italy
E. Caverzasi
Affiliation:
Interdepartmental Centre for Research on Personality Disorders, Department of Applied and Behavioural Health Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
E. Marraffini
Affiliation:
Interdepartmental Centre for Research on Personality Disorders, Department of Applied and Behavioural Health Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
G. De Vidovich
Affiliation:
Interdepartmental Centre for Research on Personality Disorders, Department of Applied and Behavioural Health Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
M. Lazzaretti
Affiliation:
Interdepartmental Centre for Research on Personality Disorders, Department of Applied and Behavioural Health Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
G. d'Allio
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, Azienda Sanitaria Locale 21, Casale Monferrato (Alessandria), Italy
M. Isola
Affiliation:
Section of Statistics, Department of Medical and Morphological Research, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
M. Balestrieri
Affiliation:
Inter-University Centre for Behavioural Neurosciences, Department of Pathology and Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
E. D'Angelo
Affiliation:
Department of Physiological, Pharmacological and Cellular Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
F. Zappoli Thyrion
Affiliation:
Servizio di Radiodiagnostica, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
P. Scagnelli
Affiliation:
Servizio di Radiodiagnostica, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
F. Barale
Affiliation:
Interdepartmental Centre for Research on Personality Disorders, Department of Applied and Behavioural Health Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
P. Brambilla
Affiliation:
Inter-University Centre for Behavioural Neurosciences, Department of Pathology and Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy Scientific Institute, IRCCS ‘E. Medea’, Udine, Italy CERT-BD, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: M. Sala, Azienda Sanitaria Locale 21, viale Giolitti 2, 15033, Casale Monferrato (Alessandria), Italy. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

It has been demonstrated that the mechanism of cognitive memory control in humans is sustained by the hippocampus and prefrontal cortices, which have been found to be structurally and functionally abnormal in borderline personality disorder (BPD). We investigated whether the memory control mechanism is affected in BPD.

Method

Nineteen Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV BPD patients and 19 matched healthy controls (HC) performed a specific think/no-think paradigm exploring the capacity of remembering and suppressing pair of words previously learned. After the think–no think phase, the second member of each word pair has to be remembered either when subjects are presented with the cue word showed at the beginning of the test (Same Probe Test; SPT) or when they are presented with an extra-list categorical word (Independent Probe Test; IPT). We evaluated the effect of suppression and of retrieval activity on later retention of words.

Results

Both on the SPT and on the IPT, HC showed the expected improvement of memory retrieval on to-be-remembered words, unlike BPD patients. On the SPT, HC, but not BPD patients, correctly recalled significantly more words among remembered words (RW) than among suppressed words (SW). Similarly to HC, subjects with BPD without a history of childhood abuse showed a significantly higher percentage of correctly recalled words among RW than among SW.

Conclusions

The mechanism of active retrieval of memories and of improvement through repetition is impaired in BPD, particularly in those who experienced traumatic experiences. This impairment might play an important role, possibly resulting in the emergence of unwanted memories and dissociative symptoms.

Keywords

Borderline personality disorderhippocampusmemorystresstrauma
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 39 , Issue 5 , May 2009 , pp. 845 - 853
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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