Differentiating the neuropsychological testing patterns of borderline personality disorder and major depressive disorder
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare the neuropsychological profile of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) to that of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Twenty-two participants diagnosed with MDD + BPD and 28 participants diagnosed with MDD no Axis II were compared on a neuropsychological battery, comprising measures of general intelligence, attention, visual memory, verbal memory, impulsivity, and psychomotor functioning. Participants also received a series of clinical measurements and a mood-state questionnaire. We found trend differences between the two groups, with the MDD + BPD group performing better than the MDD no Axis II group on general intelligence and attention, and worse on visual memory. The MDD + BPD group also reported more anxiety at the time of testing than the MDD no Axis II group, and these elevated anxiety levels affected their neuropsychological performance. These findings emphasize the necessity of developing better strategies for matching patient groups in neuropsychological studies of BPD patients. They also suggest an important area to focus on in future neuropsychological research of BPD patients—the impact of emotional arousal on cognitive performance.
Subject Area
Psychotherapy|Mental health|Psychological tests
Recommended Citation
Marsano, Sofia, "Differentiating the neuropsychological testing patterns of borderline personality disorder and major depressive disorder" (2005). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI3182453.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI3182453
