Borderline Personality Disorder: Refinements in Phenotypic and Cognitive Profiling

AbstractPurpose of ReviewAdvancements in taxometric and dimensional approaches to personality psychopathology have pushed for refinements to the borderline personality disorder (BPD) phenotype, but proposed revisions to the diagnosis in major nosological systems hinge in part on evidence to support their validity. We review recent phenotypic and cognitive research on BPD and consider ways that changes to the phenotype may be validated using cognitive measures.Recent FindingsPhenotypic research on BPD has identified core symptom dimensions underlying the DSM diagnosis, which also aggregate in families. While a unidimensional model of the disorder has been found in some studies, latent subgroups within the diagnosis have also been uncovered. Cognitive findings reveal deficits primarily in executive functions relevant to self-regulation but also in episodic memory and attentional abilities.SummaryCognitive functioning should be considered as a potential validator of proposed changes or refinements to the BPD phenotype, including categorical and dimensional conceptualizations.
Source: Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research