A Comparative Analysis of Completed Suicide Using High Resolution Brain SPECT Imaging

The authors compared regional cerebral blood flow in the brains of 12 psychiatric patients who died by suicide with groups of healthy & nonsuicidal depressed subjects using statistical parametric mapping. Results were consistent with prior imaging studies on depression & were indicative of impaired impulse control & limbic dysregulation, including significant perfusion deficits in the medial prefrontal & subgenual areas (Brodman’s areas 11, 25) & ventral tegmentum. Results warrant further research. (24 refs.) JA