Positive effects of carbamazepine on behavioral dyscontrol in borderline personality disorder.

In a double-blind crossover trial, carbamazepine, an anticonvulsant with primary effects on subcortical limbic structures, decreased the severity of behavioral dyscontrol in 11 women with borderline personality disorder significantly more than placebo. The authors emphasize the preliminary nature of their findings and discuss alternative hypotheses regarding mechanisms by which carbamazepine might influence behavioral dyscontrol.