PET imaging may measure risk for suicidal ideation, attempts, death

“Suicidal behavior occurs in the context of a diathesis characterized by impairments in mood and emotion regulation, decision-making, problem-solving, and social appraisal. Suicidal behavior is also associated with specific biomarkers, mostly involving the serotonergic system and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis,” APA president Maria A. Oquendo, MD, of New York State Psychiatric Institute, and colleagues wrote. “We found individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) who attempt suicide have lower in vivo midbrain serotonin transporter binding compared with those who do not attempt suicide, suggesting that the differences in the proportions of suicide attempters studied may contribute to discrepant positron emission tomography (PET) findings in MDD.” Read more.