Effects of borderline personality disorder features and a family history of alcohol or drug dependence on P300 in adolescents.

Decrements in P300 amplitude have been associated with familial risk for alcoholism as well as several other psychiatric disorders characterized by disinhibited behavior. The present study examined the P300 in relation to Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) features in adolescents with a paternal history of alcohol or drug dependence. One hundred and seventy-five males and females, aged 14-20, were assigned to groups based on BPD features (BPD+ vs. BPD-), family history of substance dependence (negative FH-, alcohol FHA, drug FHD) and gender. BPD features were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-III-R questionnaire. P300 ERPs were recorded while each subject performed the Stroop color-word compatibility test. Repeated measures analyses, which included Conduct Disorder and Depression symptoms as covariates, indicated a significant reduction in P300 amplitude in the BPD+ group. There were no significant effects of FH or gender on P300 amplitude. These results document the presence of neurophysiological abnormalities associated with BPD features in an adolescent sample. This effect appeared to be independent of a family history of alcohol or substance dependence. These findings suggest that BPD symptoms during adolescence are relevant to the examination of the physiological antecedents of those forms of adult psychopathology characterized by behavioral disinhibition, including alcohol and drug dependence.