Serotonin, personality and borderline personality disorder

in Acta Neuropsychiatrica (2002), 14(2), 66-70

Serotonin is one of the neurotransmitters implicated in normal personality Many psychobiological models of personality include,some dimensions related to serotonin. For instance, the harm avoidance ... [more ▼]

Serotonin is one of the neurotransmitters implicated in normal personality Many psychobiological models of personality include,some dimensions related to serotonin. For instance, the harm avoidance dimension of the blosocial model developed by Cloninger is related to serotonergic activity Higher scores on the harm avoidance dimension should theoretically reflect increased serotonergic activity However, correlation studies related serotonin activity to harm avoidance dimension have not yielded consistent findings. These controversial results are probably related to the complexity of the neurotransmitter systems, and the different assessment techniques used in these studies. Finally, recent genetic studies have examined the association between personality dimensions and serotonergic receptor polymorphisms with mixed results. Serotonin is not only related to some dimensions of normal personality Several psychopathological disorders are associated with serotonergic dysfunction. More particularly, borderline personality disorder (BPD) can be defined by many of the symptoms associated with serotonergic dysregulation, including affective lability, suicidal behaviours, impulsivity and loss of impulse control. Indeed, several reports have demonstrated the efficacy of selective serotonin re-uptake drugs in treating the depressive and impulsive symptoms of patients with BPD. Moreover, some challenge studies have reported a lower serotonergic activity in BPD. Because these challenges are not specific, we have assessed the serotonergic activity in BPD with the flesinoxan challenge. Preliminary results showed that the prolactine responses to flesinoxan were significantly lower in BPD patients compared to those observed in controls. [less ▲]

Reply to Letter to the Editor

in Psychoneuroendocrinology (2001)

Adding olanzapine to venlafaxine in treatment-refractory non-psychotic chronic depression

in American Journal of Psychiatry (The) (2001)

P300 event-related brain potential and personality in depression.

in European Psychiatry (2000), 15(6), 370-7

P300 is an event-related brain potential (ERP) particularly interesting to the study of cognitive processes in normal subjects and in psychopathology. P300 has been applied in depression with ... [more ▼]

P300 is an event-related brain potential (ERP) particularly interesting to the study of cognitive processes in normal subjects and in psychopathology. P300 has been applied in depression with controversial results. A major source for these controversial results could result from the diversity of depressed patients included in the different studies. Supporting this assumption, impulsivity, blunted affect, suicidal behavior and psychotic features significantly influence P300 amplitude. However, no data are available on the possible influences of the personality of depressed patients on P300. Since personality is related to P300 in normal subjects, the aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between ERPs (P200, N200, and P300) and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) in 54 depressed patients. The main results of the study concern the absence of major correlations between personality dimensions as assessed by the TCI and ERP parameters among depressed patients. Only weak partial positive correlations relate N200 latency with harm avoidance, and P300 amplitude (Pz) with the self-directedness dimension. N200 amplitude is also negatively correlated to persistence. However, the preliminary nature of the presented results with respect to the weak statistical significance should be underlined. [less ▲]

Dépression et suicide : Aspects biologiques

in Neuro-psy (1998)

The tridimensional personality questionnaire (TPQ) and depression.

in European Psychiatry (1998), 13(2), 101-3

The relationships between the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) and depression were examined in a sample of 53 major depressive patients and 33 healthy controls. Depressed patients exhibit ... [more ▼]

The relationships between the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) and depression were examined in a sample of 53 major depressive patients and 33 healthy controls. Depressed patients exhibit higher harm avoidance scores as well as lower novelty seeking sub-scale exploratory excitability (NS1) scores as compared to healthy controls. However, the other dimensions and their sub-scales do not differ between depressive patients and controls. In the depressive group, the harm avoidance dimension is related to the severity of depression as assessed by the Hamilton scale. This study confirms the state dependence of the harm avoidance dimension and suggests a relationship between the novelty seeking sub-scale NS1 and depression. [less ▲]

Suicidal behavior in depressive disorder: an event-related potential study.

in Biological Psychiatry (1996), 40(2), 116-22

P300 and contingent negative variation (CNV) were recorded in depressive inpatients with and without history of suicide attempt. The results showed a significant reduction of P200, P300, and CNV and a ... [more ▼]

P300 and contingent negative variation (CNV) were recorded in depressive inpatients with and without history of suicide attempt. The results showed a significant reduction of P200, P300, and CNV and a significant increase of postimperative negative variation (PINV) in patients who had attempted suicide compared to patients with a negative history. Moreover, P300 amplitude was negatively related with the Suicidal Risk and the Hopelessness but not with the Hamilton scales. These results stress the need to differentiate clinical subgroups of patients to assess the psychophysiology of depression, and indicate that patients who attempted suicide exhibit lower cortical resources and poorer cortical performance than patients without history of suicide attempt. [less ▲]

Catecholaminergic function and P300 amplitude in major depressive disorders.

in Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology (1995)

The flesinoxan 5-HT1A receptor challenge in major depression and suicidal behavior.

in Pharmacopsychiatry (1995), 28 Suppl 2

The prevailing neurochemical theory about biological correlates of suicidal behavior focuses on the serotonergic system. In this study, we assessed the cortisol, ACTH, GH, prolactin and temperature ... [more ▼]

The prevailing neurochemical theory about biological correlates of suicidal behavior focuses on the serotonergic system. In this study, we assessed the cortisol, ACTH, GH, prolactin and temperature responses to flesinoxan, a5-HT1A agonist, in 30 DSM-III-R major depressed inpatients subgrouped into suicide attempters (n = 15) and nonattempters (n = 15). The patients were assessed after a drug-free period of at least 3 weeks. A subsample of 16 patients completed the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory as a measure of impulsive aggressive behavior. Mean delta cortisol responses to flesinoxan were significantly lower in the group of depressed patients with a history of suicide attempts than in the group without history of suicidal behavior: for the delta cortisol values 14.5 +/- 16.3 micrograms/l vs 101 +/- 94 micrograms/l (F = 8.9, df = 5.25, p = 0.006). There was also a very significant difference between suicide attempters and nonattempters for the temperature (delta T degrees) responses to flesinoxan: 0.20 +/- 0.24 degrees C vs. 0.60 +/- 0.24 degrees C (F = 18.1, df = 5.25, p = 0.0003). Hormonal and temperature responses to flesinoxan were not correlated with BDHI irritability or assault subscale scores. The results of the present study support the implication of the serotonergic system, particularly 5-HT1A receptors, in the control of self-directed aggressive behavior. Moreover, in depressed patients, serotonergic abnormalities do not appear to be related to aggressive behavior. [less ▲]

Growth hormone response to clonidine in nondepressed patients with a history of suicide attempts.

in Biological Psychiatry (1995), 38(3), 201-3