White Matter Hyperintensities and Their Associations With Suicidality in Patients With Major Affective Disorders

This cross-sectional study compared the prevalence of white matter hyperintensities in patients with major affective disorders with & without histories of suicide attempst. T2-weighted magnetic resonance images of 65 psychiatric inpatients with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder were rated for the presence of white matter hyperintensities. Diagnoses, presence or absence of suicide risk, & substance abuse were assessed. Bivariate analysis showed the prevalence of white matter hyperintensities was significantly higher in subjects with past suicide attempts & other clinical indicators of elevated suicide risk. Results suggest white matter hyperintensities in patients with major affective disorders might be useful biological markers of suicidality. (41 refs.) JA