Affective temperamental profiles are associated with white matter hyperintensity and suicidal risk in patients with...

Patients with white matter hyperintensities (WMH) may be at higher risk for affective disorders and suicide. Affective temperaments may play a significant role in mood disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the eventual association between WMH, affective temperaments and suicidal behaviour in major affective disorder.

A total of 318 patients with major affective disorders were consecutively admitted as psychiatric inpatient. A total of 247 were included and given, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and assessed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS(17)), the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego (TEMPS-A).

A total of 48% of patients had periventricular WMH (PWMH) and 39% of them had deep WMH (DWMH). Patients with higher dysthymia and lower hyperthymia (H-DCIA group) were more likely to have higher BHS scores (BHS≥9=77% vs. 52%; p>0.001), more WMH (46% vs. 29%; χ(2)(n=3)=9.90; p<0.05), higher MINI suicidal risk (54% vs. 42%; p<0.05), and more recent suicide attempts (24% vs. 14%; p<0.05), than patients with higher hyperthymia and lower dysthymia (H-H group).

The small sample size did not allow the generalization of the present findings.

Differences among temperament groups measured by the TEMPS-A are associated with differences in their MRIs, indicating that different temperament profiles are associated with differences in the subcortical structures of the brain. The implications of the results were discussed.