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Cognitive disturbance in borderline personality disorder: Phenomenologic, social cognitive, and neurocognitive findings

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Current Psychosis and Therapeutics Reports

Abstract

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious psychiatric syndrome that is most often associated with emotional instability and impulsive-aggression. However, BPD is also characterized by distinctive cognitive features. We review the empirical literature on four types of cognitive disturbance in BPD: 1) transient, quasi-psychotic cognition, 2) dissociation, 3) social cognitive biases, and 4) neurocognition. Finally, we describe a cognitive neuroscience model of BPD that can guide future empirical study of the mechanisms of the disorder and its psychosocial and pharmacologic treatment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Unit 421051 Riverside Drive, 10032, New York, NY, USA

    Eric A. Fertuck PhD

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  1. Eric A. Fertuck PhD
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  2. Barbara Stanley PhD
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Correspondence to Eric A. Fertuck PhD.

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Fertuck, E.A., Stanley, B. Cognitive disturbance in borderline personality disorder: Phenomenologic, social cognitive, and neurocognitive findings. Curr psych & therapeutics rep 4, 105–111 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02629331

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