Connectome-based functional connectivity markers of suicide attempt

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Brain Imaging

Background:

• Identifying reliable neuroimaging markers for suicidality is crucial for early intervention.
• Existing studies show inconsistent findings due to diverse methodologies and populations.
• Functional brain markers can elucidate neurocognitive mechanisms underlying suicidal behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) connectivity differences in individuals with a history of suicide attempt (SA).
• To address limitations of previous studies by employing both graph-analytic and seed-based approaches.
• To identify specific neural markers differentiating SA from broader psychopathology.

Main Methods:

• Examined resting-state fMRI connectivity in post-9/11 veterans with a past SA (n=16) compared to psychiatric controls (n=124) and trauma controls (n=66).
• Utilized a novel graph-analytic approach to identify regional hubs of dysfunction (HoD).
• Employed seed-based connectivity analysis to assess whole-brain neural connection strength differences.

Main Results:

• The graph-analytic approach identified the right amygdala and right middle temporal gyrus (MTG) as SA-related HoD.
• Aberrant connectivity between these hubs spanned the cognitive control, default mode, and visual networks.
• Seed-based analysis further implicated the right amygdala in SA-related connectivity.

Conclusions:

• The right amygdala and right MTG may serve as specific neural markers for suicide attempts.
• These findings suggest that SA-related brain connectivity can be distinguished from markers of general psychopathology.
• Further research is needed, acknowledging the small sample size and potential underreporting of SA.