Brain activity to transitional objects in patients with borderline personality disorder.

Adult patients with borderline personality disorders (BPD) frequently have attachments to inanimate transitional objects (TOs) such as stuffed animals. Using event-related potential (ERP) recordings, we determined in patients with BPD the neural correlates of the processing of these attachment-relevant objects and their functional significance. Sixteen female patients with BPD viewed pictures of their TOs, other familiar stuffed toys (familiar objects, FOs), and unfamiliar objects (UOs).