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Response inhibition in borderline personality disorder: event-related potentials in a Go/Nogo task

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Summary.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has been related to a dysfunction of anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex and has been associated clinically with impulsivity, affective instability, and significant interpersonal distress. We examined 17 patients with BPD and 17 age-, sex-, and education matched control participants with no history of Axis I or II psychopathology using event-related potentials (ERPs). Participants performed a hybrid flanker-Go/Nogo task while multichannel EEG was recorded. Our study focused on two ERP components: the Nogo-N2 and the Nogo-P3, which have been discussed in the context of response inhibition and response conflict. ERPs were computed on correct Go trials (button press) and correct Nogo trials (no button press), separately. Groups did not differ with regard to the Nogo-N2. However, BPD patients showed reduced Nogo-P3 amplitudes. For the entire group (n = 34) we found a negative correlation with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-10) and Becks’s depression inventory (BDI).

The present study is the first to examine Nogo-N2 and Nogo-P3 in BPD and provides further evidence for impaired response inhibition in BPD patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Christophsbad Göppingen, Germany

    M. Ruchsow, L. Hermle & D. Ebert

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany

    G. Groen, M. Kiefer, M. Reiter & M. Spitzer

  3. Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany

    A. Buchheim

  4. Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    H. Walter

  5. Psychosomatic Hospital “Klinik Höhenried”, Bernried, Germany

    P. Martius

  6. Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany

    M. Falkenstein

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  1. M. Ruchsow
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  2. G. Groen
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  3. M. Kiefer
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  4. A. Buchheim
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  5. H. Walter
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  6. P. Martius
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  7. M. Reiter
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  8. L. Hermle
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  9. M. Spitzer
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  10. D. Ebert
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  11. M. Falkenstein
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Correspondence to M. Ruchsow.

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Correspondence: Martin Ruchsow, Department of Psychiatry, Christophsbad, Faurndauer Str. 6-28, 73035 Göppingen, Germany

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Ruchsow, M., Groen, G., Kiefer, M. et al. Response inhibition in borderline personality disorder: event-related potentials in a Go/Nogo task. J Neural Transm 115, 127–133 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-007-0819-0

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