Effect of the Glutamate NMDA Receptor Antagonist Memantine as Adjunctive Treatment in Borderline Personality Disorder: An Exploratory, Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex, severe and highly stigmatised psychiatric illness. Several lines of evidence highlight the causal link between chronic stress, glucocorticoid response to stress and glutamatergic overactivity as a key event in the pathophysiology of BPD. Therefore, molecular mechanisms capable of regulating glutamate excitotoxicity represent novel and potentially promising treatment targets. Memantine-HCl is a voltage-dependent N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor ‘channel blocker’ that selectively blocks pathological glutamate overactivity. Objective: The aim of the current study was to determine if memantine can improve BPD symptoms. Method: A..