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Updated: Mar 25, 2026
Standardized Data Acquisition for Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Substantia Nigra
Published on: September 8, 2021
Mismatch negativity as a neurophysiological biomarker differentiating non-suicidal self-injury from suicidal behavior
Jiaren Zheng1, Zhuanlin Lin1, Yanting Lin1
1TheThird Hospital of Jinjiang, Quanzhou, 362211, China.
Background:
Mismatch negativity (MMN), an electrophysiological index of pre-attentive prediction-error processing, is impaired in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, its utility in distinguishing adolescents with MDD who engage in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) from those with suicidal behavior (SB) remains unclear.
Methods:
We recruited 228 adolescents (10-24 years) into four groups: healthy controls (HC), MDD-Only, MDD + NSSI, and MDD + SB (n = 57 each). MMN was recorded using a passive auditory frequency MMN paradigm. Early (100-200 ms) and late (> 200 ms) component latency and amplitude were analyzed via ANOVA, targeted analyses, and spatiotemporal cluster-based permutation tests.
Results:
Compared to HC, all MDD groups showed prolonged MMN latency. The MDD + NSSI group exhibited reduced early MMN amplitude at left prefrontal site (F3) relative to non-NSSI groups (p = 0.022). In contrast, the MDD + SB group showed a trend toward prolonged late MMN latency at right prefrontal site (F4) compared to non-SB groups (uncorrected p = 0.063). Spatiotemporal analysis confirmed early (100-200 ms) deficits associated with NSSI and late (200-300 ms) deficits with SB. MMN amplitude (absolute value) at F3 correlated negatively with illness duration (rs = 0.22, p = 0.004).
Limitations:
The cross-sectional design, limited electrode coverage, and absence of a visual distractor task preclude causal inference and source localization.
Conclusions:
Adolescents with MDD + NSSI and MDD + SB show distinct pre-attentive processing deficits, indexed by early and late MMN components respectively. MMN shows promise as a potential neurophysiological biomarker for stratifying MDD subtypes and guiding targeted interventions.
