Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Recent biologic studies on suicide

A Roy1

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior
|January 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Further evidence for low serum cholesterol and suicidal behaviour.

Journal of affective disorders·2000
Same author

Relation of family history of suicide to suicide attempts in alcoholics.

The American journal of psychiatry·2000
Same author

[Autoimmune hepatitis in children. Initial presentation as fulminant hepatic failure].

Acta gastroenterologica Latinoamericana·2000
Same author

Malnutrition and hypernatraemia in breastfed babies.

Annals of tropical paediatrics·2000
Same author

Somatosensory evoked potentials associated with thermal activation of type II Adelta mechanoheat nociceptive afferents.

The International journal of neuroscience·2000
Same author

Coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass in pheochromocytoma.

The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery·2000
Same journal

A Randomized Controlled Trial With an Internal Pilot of a Co-Designed App Targeting Upstream Suicide-Related Risk and Protective Factors Among International Students.

Suicide & life-threatening behavior·2026
Same journal

Predicting Next-Day Passive Suicidal Ideation in At-Risk Youth.

Suicide & life-threatening behavior·2026
Same journal

Emotional Responses to Social Media and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Adolescents.

Suicide & life-threatening behavior·2026
Same journal

Prevalence and Timing of Suicidal Ideation, Preparation, and Attempts Among Mass Shooting Survivors.

Suicide & life-threatening behavior·2026
Same journal

Suicidality of Indigenous Teenagers as an Anomic Adaptation to Frustration: An Empirical Test (Correlates of Indigenous Teenage Suicidality).

Suicide & life-threatening behavior·2026
Same journal

Feasibility, Acceptability, and Impact of the Couples Crisis Response Plan (CCRP) to Reduce Post-Discharge Suicide Risk: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Suicide & life-threatening behavior·2026
See all related articles

Suicidal behavior in depression is linked to lower levels of the dopamine metabolite homovanillic acid (HVA) in cerebrospinal fluid and urine. This suggests reduced central dopaminergic activity may play a role in depression-related suicide attempts.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Suicidal behavior is a significant concern in patients diagnosed with depression.
  • Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of suicidal behavior is crucial for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent studies investigating the relationship between suicidal behavior and neurochemical markers in depression.
  • To explore the role of dopaminergic neurotransmission and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in suicidal behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Review of studies measuring monoamine metabolites, specifically homovanillic acid (HVA), in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and urine of depressed patients.
  • Analysis of suicide attempt history and re-attempt rates over a 5-year follow-up period.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Assessment of HPA axis regulation in patients with a history of violent suicide attempts.

    • Main Results:

    • Depressed patients who attempted suicide exhibited significantly lower CSF concentrations and urinary outputs of HVA compared to non-attempters.
    • Reduced CSF HVA and urinary HVA levels were also observed in patients who reattempted suicide during follow-up.
    • Violent suicide attempters displayed evidence of HPA axis dysregulation.

    Conclusions:

    • Diminished central dopaminergic neurotransmission, indicated by lower HVA levels, is implicated in suicidal behavior among depressed individuals.
    • These findings highlight the potential involvement of the dopamine system in the pathophysiology of suicide in depression.
    • HPA axis dysregulation may also contribute to severe suicidal behavior, particularly violent attempts.