Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 4, 2026

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression
Published on: May 19, 2015
Control-related frontal-striatal function is associated with past suicidal ideation and behavior in patients with
Michael J Minzenberg1, Tyler A Lesh2, Tara A Niendam2
1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Objective:
Suicide is highly-prevalent in major mood disorders, yet it remains unclear how suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior relate to brain functions, especially those that support control processes. We evaluated how prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity during goal-representation (an important component of cognitive control) relates to past suicidal ideation and behavior in patients with psychotic major mood disorders.
Method:
30 patients with recent-onset of either DSM-IV-TR-defined bipolar disorder type I (n=21) or major depressive disorder (n=9) with psychotic features, but neither in a major mood episode nor acutely psychotic at study, were evaluated for past suicidal ideation and behavior (Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale) and functional MRI during cognitive control task performance. Group-level regression models of brain activation accounted for current depression, psychosis and trait impulsivity.
Results:
Intensity of past suicidal ideation was associated with higher control-related activation in right-hemisphere regions including the ventrolateral PFC (VLPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex, rostral insula, and dorsal striatum. Among those with past suicidal ideation (n=16), past suicidal behavior (n=8) was associated with higher control-related activation in right-hemisphere regions including VLPFC, rostrolateral PFC, and frontal operculum/rostral insula; and relatively lower activity in midline parietal regions, including cuneus and precuneus.
Limitations:
The sample size of subjects with past suicidal behavior was modest, and all subjects were taking psychotropic medication.
Conclusions:
This study provides unique evidence that in early-course psychotic major mood disorders, suicidal ideation and behavior histories directly relate to PFC-based circuit function in support of cognitive control.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Psychosurgery
Historical Development of Psychosurgery
In the 1930s, Portuguese neurologist Antonio Egas Moniz introduced a surgical procedure designed...
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within...
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...

