Neurocognitive Deficits in Borderline Personality Disorder: Associations With Childhood Trauma and Dimensions of Personality Psychopathology
Abstract
The present study evaluates the severity of neurocognitive deficits and assesses their relations with self-reported childhood trauma and dimensions of personality psychopathology in 45 outpatients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) matched to 56 non-psychiatric controls. Participants completed a comprehensive battery of neurocognitive tests, a retrospective questionnaire on early life trauma and a dimensional measure of personality psychopathology. Patients with BPD primarily showed deficits in verbal comprehension, sustained visual attention, working memory and processing speed. Comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and an elevated childhood history of physical trauma were each accompanied by more severe neurocognitive deficits. There were no statistically significant associations between neurocognitive function and dimensions of personality psychopathology. These results suggest that patients with BPD display deficits mainly in higher-order thinking abilities that may be exacerbated by PTSD and substantial early life trauma. Potential relationships between neurocognitive deficits and dimensions of personality psychopathology in BPD need further examination.
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Comorbid BPD/PTSD was associated with additional deficits in high-order neurocognitive functions (i.e., verbal comprehension, visual episodic memory, perceptual reasoning).
“Comorbid BPD/PTSD was associated with additional deficits in high-order neurocognitive functions (i.e., verbal comprehension, visual episodic memory, perceptual reasoning).”
From Complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder (2021) · cites this paper as [170]
A case-control study with 45 adult outpatients diagnosed with BPD and 56 matched non-psychiatric controls found that BPD was associated with deficits in verbal comprehension, sustained visual attention, working memory and processing speed.
“A case-control study with 45 adult outpatients diagnosed with BPD and 56 matched non-psychiatric controls [170] found that BPD was associated with deficits in verbal comprehension, sustained visual attention, working memory and processing speed.”
From Complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder (2021) · cites this paper as [170]
Although the BPD patients reported more severe childhood maltreatment than controls, childhood trauma was associated only with one neurocognitive deficit-and only with trauma in the form of physical abuse.
“Although the BPD patients reported more severe childhood maltreatment than controls (e.g., 75, 62 and 49%, respectively, reported moderate to severe emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse or physical neglect), childhood trauma was associated only with one neurocognitive deficit—and only with trauma in the form of physical abuse.”
From Complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder (2021) · cites this paper as [170]
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Childhood adversity and borderline personality disorder: a meta‐analysis
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“A case-control study with 45 adult outpatients diagnosed with BPD and 56 matched non-psychiatric controls [170] found that BPD was associated with deficits in verbal comprehension, sustained visual attention, working memory and processing speed.”
BackgroundBeck, E., Bo, S., Jørgensen, M. S., Gondan, M., Poulsen, S., Storebø, O. J., Fjellerad Andersen, C., Folmo, E., Sharp, C., Pedersen, J., et al. (2020) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/jcpp.13152 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Thomsen, M. S., Ruocco, A. C., Carcone, D., Mathiesen, B. B., & Simonsen, E.
- Affiliations
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Venue
- Journal of Personality Disorders
- Publisher
- Guilford Publications
- Published
- 2017-08
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 503-521
- ISSN
- 0885-579X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2520281301
- Cited by
- 34
- References
- 59
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 4.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Personality Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MSH130177)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Keywords
- borderline personality disorder, neurocognitive impairment, childhood trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, physical abuse, verbal comprehension, visual attention, working memory, processing speed, personality pathology, higher-order thinking skills
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Borderline Personality Disorder, Child Abuse, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Psychopathology, Retrospective Studies, Neurocognitive Disorders, Young Adult
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