Neurocognitive Functions in a Sample of Egyptian Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder

Abstract

he term ‘Borderline Personality Disorder’ (BPD) refers to a psychiatric syndrome that is characterized by emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, risk-taking behavior, irritability, feelings of emptiness, self-injury and fear of abandonment, as well as unstable interpersonal relationships. BPD is not only common in psychiatric populations but also more prevalent in the general community than previously thought, and thus represents an important public health issue. BPD has a lifetime prevalence of about 6%. Moreover, BPD is associated with severe suffering and burden on both those who have the disorder and those who are closest to them (Martin Brüne, 2016). In the last several years, a number of studies have aimed at characterizing neurocognitive alterations in borderline personality disorder (BPD). Although BPD is not regarded as a typically neurocognitive disorder, previous studies proposed that neurocognitive impairments might constitute a key moderator in the development of BPD. The exact nature of such impairments is still under debate. Research suggests the existence of deficits in many cognitive processes, ranging from perceptual speed to memory, attention, and executive functions: that is, an unspecific generalized cognitive impairment (Hagenhoff et al., 2013).