Serotonin Dysfunction and Suicide Attempts in Major Depressives: an Auditory Event-Related Potential Study

This study was designed to investigate possible differences in the loudness-dependent auditory evoked potential and P300 between depressed patients who attempted suicide & those who did not. These levels were recorded for 66 patients with major depresion (16 of whom had attempted suicide). Those who had attempted suicide showed a sharper slope of the loudness-dependent auditory evoked potential & increased frontal P300 amplitude. A high correlation between these measures & a gender difference were also noted. Results are concordant with previous assumptions about serotonin dysfunction in patients with major depression who attempt suicide. (43 refs.)