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Serotonin dysfunction and suicide attempts in major depressives: an auditory event-related potential study.

Chen TJ, Yu YW, Chen MC, Wang SY, Tsai SJ, Lee TW

Kai-Suan Psychiatric Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC.

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. OBJECTIVES: 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.

Published 1 July 2005 in Neuropsychobiology, 52(1): 28-36.
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