Pain assessment in self-injurious patients with borderline personality disorder using signal detection theory

• Published in: Psychiatry research Vol. 70; no. 3; pp. 175 - 183
• Main Authors: Kemperman, Ingrid, Russ, Mark J, Crawford Clark, W, Kakuma, Tatsuyuki, Zanine, Elizabeth, Harrison, Katherine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 30.05.1997; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Borderline Personality Disorder - diagnosis; Borderline Personality Disorder - psychology; Dissociation; Dissociative Disorders - diagnosis; Dissociative Disorders - psychology; Female; Humans; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Opiate; Pain Measurement; Pain perception; Parasuicide; Personality disorder; Personality disorders; Personality Inventory; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Self Mutilation - psychology; Self-Injurious Behavior - psychology; Self-mutilation; Sensory decision theory; Signal Detection, Psychological; Suicide, Attempted - psychology; Thermosensing; Opiate; Pain perception; Sensory decision theory; Self-mutilation; Dissociation; Personality disorder; Parasuicide; Human; Nociception; Self injury; Borderline; Attitude; Thermal stimulus; Psychophysics; Pain; Adult; Female; Perception; Signal detection
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/S0165-1781(97)00034-6

Signal detection theory measures of thermal responsivity were examined to determine whether differences in reported pain experienced during self-injurious behavior in female patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are explained by neurosensory factors and/or attitudinal factors (response bias). Female patients with BPD who do not experience pain during self-injury (BPD-NP group) were found to discriminate more poorly between noxious thermal stimuli of similar intensity, low P( A), than female patients with BPD who experience pain during self-injury (BPD-P group), female patients with BPD who do not have a history of self-injury (BPD-C group), and age-matched normal women. The BPD-NP group also had a higher response criterion, B (more stoical) than the BPD-C group. These findings suggest that `analgesia' during self-injury in patients with BPD is related to both neurosensory and attitudinal/psychological abnormalities. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.