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The Association Between Suicidal Behavior, Attentional Control, and Frontal Asymmetry
Catherine Thompson1, Elsie Li Chen Ong1,2
1School of Health Sciences, University of Salford, Salford, United Kingdom.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
|March 30, 2018
Summary
Individuals at high risk for suicidal behavior exhibit attentional biases and impaired inhibition, particularly towards negative stimuli. Neurological markers, like frontal asymmetry, may also correlate with suicidal behavior, aiding early identification.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Identifying individuals at risk of suicide is challenging due to the internalized nature of suicidal thoughts.
- Early identification of suicidal thoughts and actions is crucial for suicide prevention.
- Previous research suggests a link between deficits in attentional control and suicide risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between suicidal behavior and neurological/behavioral markers.
- To measure attentional bias and inhibition in individuals with varying levels of suicidal behavior using Stroop tasks.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-four participants completed standard and emotional Stroop tasks measuring response to word color.
- Electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was recorded from frontal areas during tasks and at rest.
- Participants were categorized into low-risk and high-risk groups based on self-reported suicidal behavior.
Main Results:
- The high-risk group demonstrated slower response times and reduced accuracy in the standard Stroop task.
- The high-risk group exhibited faster response times in the emotional Stroop task, with slower responses to the word 'suicide'.
- Reduced leftward frontal EEG activity was observed in the high-risk group during the emotional Stroop task.
Conclusions:
- Deficits in attentional control are strongly related to suicidal behavior.
- Attentional bias towards negative stimuli and difficulties in information inhibition are characteristic of high-risk individuals.
- Frontal asymmetry may be associated with suicidal behavior, potentially aiding in early detection.
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