Brain Structural and Functional Damage Network Localization of Suicide

Extensive neuroimaging research on brain structural and functional correlates of suicide has produced inconsistent results. Despite increasing recognition that damage in multiple different brain locations that causes the same symptom can map to a common brain network, there is still a paucity of research investigating network localization of suicide.

To clarify this issue, we initially identified brain structural and functional damage locations in relation to suicide from 63 published studies with 2135 suicidal and 2606 nonsuicidal individuals. By applying novel functional connectivity network mapping to large-scale discovery and validation resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging datasets, we mapped these affected brain locations to 3 suicide brain damage networks corresponding to different imaging modalities.

The suicide gray matter volume damage network comprised widely distributed brain areas primarily involving the dorsal default mode, basal ganglia, and anterior salience networks. The suicide task-induced activation damage network was similar to but less extensive than the gray matter volume damage network, predominantly implicating the same canonical networks. The suicide resting-state activity damage network manifested as a localized set of brain regions encompassing the orbitofrontal cortex and middle cingulate cortex.

Our findings not only may help reconcile prior heterogeneous neuroimaging results, but also may provide insights into the neurobiological mechanisms of suicide from a network perspective, which may ultimately inform more targeted and effective strategies to prevent suicide.