Decreased cerebral blood flow in the limbic and prefrontal cortex using SPECT imaging in a cohort of completed suicides
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Case-control study comparing completed suicides to healthy historical controls
OpenAlex W1999887172 · doi:10.1038/tp.2011.28
What was done
Researchers evaluated regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in 21 individuals with DSM-IV-diagnosed depression who subsequently died by suicide (including 9 cases added between 2007 and 2010). These scans were compared against 27 age- and gender-matched healthy controls from an earlier dataset using voxel-by-voxel statistical parametric mapping and factor analysis.
What was found
Factor analysis identified the top 10 brain regions with hypoperfusion in the suicide group relative to controls, including the bilateral superior frontal lobes, right precuneus, rolandic operculum, postcentral gyrus, left caudate, and insular cortex. Focal rCBF reductions were specifically identified in the subgenual cingulate cortex (Brodmann area 25) in 18 suicide cases. The abstract reports no exact numerical effect sizes, test statistics, or p-values.
Why it matters
Identifying objective neuroimaging biomarkers associated with completed suicide could assist in risk stratification for patients suffering from severe or treatment-resistant depression.
Limits
The sample size is modest (21 suicide cases). The comparison group consisted of healthy controls rather than depressed patients without suicidal behavior, preventing clear distinction between the neural correlates of depression and those specific to completed suicide. The timing between SPECT scanning and suicide completion is not detailed in the abstract, and quantitative statistical metrics are omitted.
Cited by
- supports Dr. Daniel Amen's research team has published more than 80 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals.