Pain sensitivity is reduced in borderline personality disorder, but not in posttraumatic stress disorder and bulimia nervosa
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Several studies revealed reduced pain sensitivity in patients suffering from borderline personality disorder (BPD) under baseline and stress conditions. To establish whether these findings are specific for BPD, we compared pain thresholds in patients with BPD, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bulimia nervosa, and healthy controls. METHODS: The study included 76 female subjects: 16 patients with BPD, 16 patients with PTSD, 20 patients with bulimia nervosa and 24 healthy controls. Heat and cold pain thresholds were assessed under baseline and stress conditions, using a contact thermode. Mental stress was induced by the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task. RESULTS: Under baseline conditions, pain thresholds in patients with BPD were significantly higher compared to healthy controls. Patients with PTSD and bulimia nervosa did not show significant differences in pain thresholds compared to healthy controls. Under stress conditions, the difference between BPD patients and healthy controls became even more prominent, whereas the results in the other patient groups remained insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the hypothesis that reduced pain sensitivity is a prominent feature of BPD, which may differentiate this disorder from other stress-related psychiatric conditions.
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Both BPD and PTSD have been found to be associated with complaints of heightened physical pain, but they appear to have distinct pain profiles.
“Although both BPD and PTSD have been found to be associated with complaints of heightened physical pain, they appear to have distinct pain profiles [150].”
From Complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder (2021) · cites this paper as [150]
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Complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder
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“Although both BPD and PTSD have been found to be associated with complaints of heightened physical pain, they appear to have distinct pain profiles [150].”
BackgroundComplex PTSD, affect dysregulation, and borderline personality disorder
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- Authors
- Schmahl, C., Meinzer, M., Zeuch, A., Fichter, M., Cebulla, M., Kleindienst, N., Ludäscher, P., Steil, R., & Bohus, M.
- Affiliations
- Central Institute of Mental Health (DE)
- Schön Klinik Roseneck (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Schmahl, Christian
- ORCID
- Venue
- The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2010-03
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 2-2
- Pages
- 364-371
- ISSN
- 1562-2975 (ISSN-L)
- 1814-1412
- OpenAlex
- W2055459742
- Cited by
- 77
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 7.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Pain Mechanisms and Treatments
- Keywords
- borderline personality disorder, pain sensitivity, pain threshold, post-traumatic stress disorder, bulimia nervosa, psychological stress, thermal pain, cold pain, Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test, stress-related psychiatric disorders
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Borderline Personality Disorder, Female, Humans, Pain Measurement, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Stress, Psychological, Pain Threshold, Bulimia Nervosa, Young Adult
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