False memories and memory confidence in borderline patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mixed results have been obtained regarding memory in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Prior reports and anecdotal evidence suggests that patients with BPD are prone to false memories but this assumption has to been put to firm empirical test, yet.

METHODS: Memory accuracy and confidence was assessed in 20 BPD patients and 22 healthy controls using a visual variant of the false memory (Deese-Roediger-McDermott) paradigm which involved a negative and a positive-valenced picture.

RESULTS: Groups did not differ regarding veridical item recognition. Importantly, patients did not display more false memories than controls. At trend level, borderline patients rated more items as new with high confidence compared to healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONS: The results tentatively suggest that borderline patients show uncompromised visual memory functions and display no increased susceptibility for distorted memories.