Increased p50 gating but intact prepulse inhibition in borderline personality disorder

The authors explore sensory gating deficits in borderline personality disorder patients, such as those described in schizophrenia, in patients with borderline personality disorder. Gating of the P50, N100, and P200 auditory evoked potentials and prepulse inhibition of the startle response (PPI) were measured in borderline patients and a group of healthy comparison subjects. Borderline patients did not show lower sensory gating, but showed higher P50, N100, and P200 gating than comparison subjects. This was mainly due to the increased response after the first stimulus. There were no group differences in PPI. Unlike in other major psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, sensory (motor) gating is intact in borderline personality disorder. The higher early preattentive and mid-latency evoked potentials suggest a higher response tendency in borderline personality disorder, but this needs further replication.