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Brains, genes and environment of suicide attempters

Vang, Fredrik LU (2012) In Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series 2012:3.
Abstract
Identification of symptoms or biological abnormalities that predispose to suicide or identifies specific vulnerabilities, may one day improve allocation of resources or help tailor treatment to the patient.



Paper I: We compared the predictive value of symptom-oriented questions against direct questions about suicidality in assessing risk for suicide attempts. The self-rated Suicide Assessment Scale was administered to 496 psychiatric patients, whose medical records were analyzed a year later. Four questions directly concerned with suicidality contributed to predictive power, but not the symptom-oriented ones.



Paper II: We investigated the relationship between suicidal intent and... (More)
Identification of symptoms or biological abnormalities that predispose to suicide or identifies specific vulnerabilities, may one day improve allocation of resources or help tailor treatment to the patient.



Paper I: We compared the predictive value of symptom-oriented questions against direct questions about suicidality in assessing risk for suicide attempts. The self-rated Suicide Assessment Scale was administered to 496 psychiatric patients, whose medical records were analyzed a year later. Four questions directly concerned with suicidality contributed to predictive power, but not the symptom-oriented ones.



Paper II: We investigated the relationship between suicidal intent and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction in 78 suicide attempters with depression and adjustment disorder. In depressed patients, lower cortisol was associated with more serious suicide attempts.



Paper III: We investigated how life-time adversities related to past and present morbidity, and genotype. Forty-two, suicide attempters and 22 matched control patients were followed-up after 13 years. Genotype may have affected risk of attempting suicide, but showed no signs of affecting long term prognosis.



Paper IV: Previously published SPECT data showed a correlation between temperament and serotonin transporter availability in suicide attempters. We studied whether these findings were reflected in anatomical differences. Magnetic resonance images were retrieved from 13 of the original subjects, and we found changes in the globus pallidus consistent with this hypothesis.



Paper V: Altered perceptual asymmetry measured with dichotic listening has been associated with reduced white matter integrity, prefrontal functioning and response to treatment in depression. Perceptual asymmetry correlated with clinical measures of suicidality in 20 suicide attempters. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Professor Hawton, Keith, University of Oxford
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
suicide, attempted suicide, self-injury, factor analysis, psychometrics, suicide assessment scale, cortisol, hpa-axis, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, depression, adjustment disorder, serotonin transporter, 5HTTLPR, adversities, negative life events, globus pallidus, caudate nucleus, SPECT, MRI, volumetry, dichotic listening, brain lateralization, functional brain asymmetry
in
Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series
volume
2012:3
pages
158 pages
publisher
Lund University
defense location
Kioskgatan 21, Lund
defense date
2012-01-27 09:00:00
ISSN
1652-8220
ISBN
978-91-86871-65-9
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1e0889e1-6c18-44e6-92df-8a2cbb2bc3a0 (old id 2277559)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:18:17
date last changed
2023-04-18 20:39:49
@phdthesis{1e0889e1-6c18-44e6-92df-8a2cbb2bc3a0,
  abstract     = {{Identification of symptoms or biological abnormalities that predispose to suicide or identifies specific vulnerabilities, may one day improve allocation of resources or help tailor treatment to the patient.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Paper I: We compared the predictive value of symptom-oriented questions against direct questions about suicidality in assessing risk for suicide attempts. The self-rated Suicide Assessment Scale was administered to 496 psychiatric patients, whose medical records were analyzed a year later. Four questions directly concerned with suicidality contributed to predictive power, but not the symptom-oriented ones.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Paper II: We investigated the relationship between suicidal intent and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction in 78 suicide attempters with depression and adjustment disorder. In depressed patients, lower cortisol was associated with more serious suicide attempts.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Paper III: We investigated how life-time adversities related to past and present morbidity, and genotype. Forty-two, suicide attempters and 22 matched control patients were followed-up after 13 years. Genotype may have affected risk of attempting suicide, but showed no signs of affecting long term prognosis.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Paper IV: Previously published SPECT data showed a correlation between temperament and serotonin transporter availability in suicide attempters. We studied whether these findings were reflected in anatomical differences. Magnetic resonance images were retrieved from 13 of the original subjects, and we found changes in the globus pallidus consistent with this hypothesis.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Paper V: Altered perceptual asymmetry measured with dichotic listening has been associated with reduced white matter integrity, prefrontal functioning and response to treatment in depression. Perceptual asymmetry correlated with clinical measures of suicidality in 20 suicide attempters.}},
  author       = {{Vang, Fredrik}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-86871-65-9}},
  issn         = {{1652-8220}},
  keywords     = {{suicide; attempted suicide; self-injury; factor analysis; psychometrics; suicide assessment scale; cortisol; hpa-axis; hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; depression; adjustment disorder; serotonin transporter; 5HTTLPR; adversities; negative life events; globus pallidus; caudate nucleus; SPECT; MRI; volumetry; dichotic listening; brain lateralization; functional brain asymmetry}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series}},
  title        = {{Brains, genes and environment of suicide attempters}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3290518/2277560.pdf}},
  volume       = {{2012:3}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}