EEC theta activity and pain insensitivity in self-injurious borderline patients

The principal aim of this study was to investigate possible neurophysiologi cal underpinnings of self-injurious behavior in women with borderline perso nality disorder (BPD). Pain report and EEG power spectrum density during a laboratory pain procedure, a 4-min 10 degrees C cold presser test (CPT), we re compared among four groups; female inpatients with BPD who do (BPD-P gro up, n = 22) and do not (BPD-NP group, n = 19) report pain during self-injur y, female inpatients with major depression (n = 15), and normal women (n = 20). The BPD-NP group reported less pain intensity during the CPT compared to the other groups. Total absolute theta power was significantly higher in the BPD-NP group compared to the Depressed (P = 0.0074) and Normal (P = 0. 0001) groups, with a trend toward being significantly higher compared to th e BPD-P group (P = 0.0936). Dissociative Experience Scale scores were signi ficantly higher in the BPD-NP group compared to the Depressed and Normal gr oups (maximum P = 0.0004), and significantly higher in the BPD-P group comp ared to the Normal group (P = 0.0016). Beck Depression Inventory and Sheeha n Patient Rated Anxiety Scale scores were significantly lower in the Normal group compared to all patient groups. Theta activity was significantly cor related with pain rating (Pearson partial r = -0.43, P = 0.0001) and Dissoc iative Experiences Scale score (Pearson partial r = 0.32, P = 0.01). (C) 19 99 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.