Symptomatology and electroencephalographic abnormalities were examined in thirty-nine individuals with borderline personality disorder, compared with twenty unipolar depressed patients. Borderline individuals showed a much higher incidence of symptoms commonly seen in complex partial seizures or episodic dyscontrol, and in addition had a much higher incidence of EEG abnormalities, particularly posterior sharp activity. These findings suggest that neurophysiological dysfunction may contribute to the borderline syndrome.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, 3rd Edition, American Psychiatric Association, Washington, 1980.
2.
KernbergO. F., Borderline Conditions and Pathological Narcissism, Jason Aronson, New York, 1975.
3.
DalyD. L., Ictal Clinical Manifestations of Complex Partial Seizures, in Advances in Neurology, Vol. II: Complex Partial Seizures, PenryJ. K. and DalyD. D. (eds.), Raven Press, New York, 1975.
4.
Flor-HenryP., Ictal and Interictal Psychiatric Manifestation in Epilepsy, Epilepsia, 13, pp. 773–783, 1972.
5.
MonroeR. R., Episodic Behavior Disorders, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1970.
6.
Bach-Y-RitaG.LionJ. R.ClimentC., Episodic Dyscontrol: A Study of 130 Violent Patients, American Journal of Psychiatry, 127, pp. 1473–1478, 1971.
7.
GundersonJ. G. and SingerM. T., Defining Borderline Patients: An Overview, American Journal of Psychiatry, 132, pp. 1–10, 1975.
8.
PerryJ. C. and KlermanG. L., The Borderline Patient: A Comparative Analysis of Four Sets of Diagnostic Criteria, Archives of General Psychiatry, 35, pp. 141–150, 1978.
9.
PerryJ. C. and KlermanG. L., Clinical Features of the Borderline Personality Disorder, American Journal of Psychiatry, 137, pp. 165–173, 1980.
10.
SpitzerR. L.EndicottJ., and RobinsE., Research Diagnostic Criteria, Rationale and Reliability, Archives of General Psychiatry, 35, pp. 773–782, 1978.
11.
SpitzerR. L.EndicottJ., and GibbonM., Crossing the Border into Borderline Personality and Borderline Schizophrenia: The Development of Criteria, Archives of General Psychiatry, 36, pp. 17–24, 1979.
12.
AkiskalH. S., Subaffective Disorders: Dysthymic, Cyclothymic, and Bipolar II Disorders in the “Borderline” Realm, in Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Vol. 4, pp. 25–46, StoneM. H. (ed.), W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, 1981.
13.
StoneM. H., Borderline Syndromes: A Consideration of Subtypes and an Overview, Directions for Research, in Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Vol. 4, pp. 3–24, StoneM. H. (ed.), W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, 1981.
14.
PopeH. G.JonesH. M.HudsonJ. I., Validity of DSM-III Borderline Personality Disorder, Archives of General Psychiatry, 40, pp. 23–30, 1983.
15.
SoloffP. H. and MillwardJ. W., Psychiatric Disorders in the Families of Borderline Patients, Archives of General Psychiatry, 40, pp. 37–44, 1983.
16.
AndrulonisP. A.ShieckB. C.StroebelC. F., Organic Brain Dysfunction and the Borderline Syndrome, in Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Vol. 4, pp. 47–66, StoneM. H. (ed.), W. B. Saunders Co., Phildelphia, 1981.
17.
SnyderS.PittsW. M., and SajadiC., Electroencephalography of Borderline Personality, New Research Abstracts, American Psychiatric Association, Washington, 1982.
18.
MaletskyB. M., The Episodic Dyscontrol Syndrome, Disorders of the Nervous System, 34, pp. 178–185, 1973.
19.
HillD. and WattersonD., Electroencephalographic Studies of Psychopathic Personalities, Journal of Neurological Psychiatry, 5, pp. 47–65, 1942.
20.
Stafford-ClarkD. and TaylorF. H., Clinical and EEG Studies of Prisoners Charged with Murder, Journal of Neurological and Neurosurgical Psychiatry, 12, pp. 325–350, 1949.
21.
StruveF. A.SarafK. R.ArkoR. S., Relationship between Paroxysmal Electroencephalographic Dysrhythmia and Suicide Ideation and Attempts in Psychiatric Patients, in Psychopathology and Brain Dysfunction, GershonS. and ShagassC. (eds.), Raven Press, New York, 1977.
22.
StruveF. A., Electroencephalographic Correlates of Suicidal Ideation and Attempts, Archives of General Psychiatry, 27, pp. 363–365, 1972.
23.
GibbsF. A. and GibbsE. L., Diagnostic and Localizing Value of Electroencephalographic Studies in Sleep Research, Research Publications in Associated Research of Nervous and Mental Diseases, 26, pp. 366–376, 1947.
24.
StevensJ. R., Emotional Activation of the Electroencephalogram in Patients with Convulsive Disorders, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 128, pp. 339–351, 1959.
25.
HeathR. G. and MickleW. A., Evaluation of Seven Years' Experience with Depth Electrodes in Human Patients, in Electrical Studies of the Unanesthetized Brain, PameyE. R. and O'DohertyD. S. (eds.), Paul B. Hoeber, New York, 1960.
26.
StevensJ. R.BigelowL.DenneyD., Telemetered EEG-EOG during Psychotic Behaviors of Schizophrenia, Archives of General Psychiatry, 36, pp. 251–262, 1979.
27.
GoldensohnE. S., EEG and Ictal and Post-Ictal Behavior, in EEG and Behavior, GlaserG. H. (ed.), Basic Books, New York, 1963.
