Dimensional assessment of personality and impulsiveness in borderline personality disorder

The aim of this study is to determine the dimensional personality profile in borderline personality disorder (BPD), and to assess the multidimensional nature of impulsiveness using self-reported and laboratorial measures. We compared the differences in 39 female subjects diagnosed with BPD and 102 healthy controls using a battery of self-report instruments and a laboratorial measure of impulsivity. BPD patients obtained higher scores in impulsivity and aggressiveness self-report measures and higher impulsive-related temperament dimensions, compared with the control group. BPD patients did not differ from controls in laboratorial-behavioral impulsivity and there was no association between self-report impulsivity and the performance in the laboratorial task. According to our findings, BPD patients are characterized by high levels of trait impulsivity in several domains. Our results do not support the hypothesis of a possible deficit in the inhibitory control in BPD patients, suggested by an impulsive response pattern in the neurocognitive assessment. Future studies should study the relationship between personality traits and rapid-response impulsivity using different laboratorial-behavioral measures in BPD patients.