Serotonin dysfunction and suicide attempts in major depressives: an auditory event-related potential study.
BACKGROUND
Serotonergic dysfunction is believed to be involved in suicide attempts. The loudness-dependent auditory evoked potential (LDAEP) is one of the validated indicators of the activity of the central serotonin system in humans.


OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to investigate possible differences in the LDAEP and P300 between those depressed patients who attempted suicide and those who did not.


METHODS
The LDAEP and P300 levels were recorded for 66 depressive patients (among which 16 had attempted suicide).


RESULTS
Those who had attempted suicide showed a sharper slope of the LDAEP and increased frontal P300 amplitude. A high correlation between the LDAEP and P300, and a gender difference were also noted.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results are concordant with previous assumptions about serotonin dysfunction in depressives who attempt suicide.
Chen
Tai-Jui
TJ
Kai-Suan Psychiatric Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC.
Yu
Younger W-Y
YW
Chen
Ming-Chao
MC
Wang
Shing-Yaw
SY
Tsai
Shih-Jen
SJ
Lee
Tien-Wen
TW
D000328:Adult; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300 / Q000502:physiology; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*
D012701:Serotonin