Suicidality and brain volumes in pediatric epilepsy.
This study examined the relationship between suicidal ideation and frontotemporal volumes, particularly orbital frontal gyrus volume, in 51 subjects with epilepsy with a mean age of 9.8 (2.1) years. Structured psychiatric interviews of the children and parents provided information on suicidal behavior and DSM-IV diagnoses. Tissue of 1.5-T MRI scans was segmented, and total brain, frontal lobe, frontal parcellations, and temporal lobe volumes were computed. The 11 subjects with epilepsy with suicidal ideation had significantly smaller right orbital frontal gyrus white matter volumes and larger left temporal lobe gray matter volumes than the 40 children without suicidal thoughts. Given the role of the orbital frontal gyrus in both emotional regulation and epilepsy, these findings highlight the biological underpinnings of suicidal ideation in pediatric epilepsy.
Caplan
Rochelle
R
Department of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. rcaplan@ucla.edu
Siddarth
Prabha
P
Levitt
Jennifer
J
Gurbani
Suresh
S
Shields
W Donald
WD
Sankar
Raman
R
D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002648:Child; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*