Subcortical brain structure and suicidal behaviour in major depressive disorder: a meta-analysis from the ENIGMA-MDD working group
Year: 2017
Type: review
Abstract: The aetiology of suicidal behaviour is complex, and knowledge about its neurobiological mechanisms is limited. Neuroimaging methods provide a noninvasive approach to explore the neural correlates of suicide vulnerability in vivo. The ENIGMA-MDD Working Group is an international collaboration evaluating neuroimaging and clinical data from thousands of individuals collected by research groups from around the world. Here we present analyses in a subset sample (n=3097) for whom suicidality data were available. Prevalence of suicidal symptoms among major depressive disorder (MDD) cases ranged between 29 and 69% across cohorts. We compared mean subcortical grey matter volumes, lateral ventricle volumes and total intracranial volume (ICV) in MDD patients with suicidal symptoms (N=451) vs healthy controls (N=1996) or MDD patients with no suicidal symptoms (N=650). MDD patients reporting suicidal plans or attempts showed a smaller ICV (P=4.12 × 10−3) or a 2.87% smaller volume compared with controls (Cohen’s d=−0.284). In addition, we observed a nonsignificant trend in which MDD cases with suicidal symptoms had smaller subcortical volumes and larger ventricular volumes compared with controls. Finally, no significant differences (P=0.28–0.97) were found between MDD patients with and those without suicidal symptoms for any of the brain volume measures. This is by far the largest neuroimaging meta-analysis of suicidal behaviour in MDD to date. Our results did not replicate previous reports of association between subcortical brain structure and suicidality and highlight the need for collecting better-powered imaging samples and using improved suicidality assessment instruments.
Source: Translational Psychiatry
DOI: 10.1038/tp.2017.84
Authors: M E Rentería, L Schmaal, D P Hibar, B Couvy-Duchesne, L T Strike, N T Mills, G I de Zubicaray, K L McMahon, S E Medland, N A Gillespie, S N Hatton, J Lagopoulos, D J Veltman, N van der Wee, T G M van Erp, K Wittfeld, H J Grabe, A Block, K Hegenscheid, H Völzke, I M Veer, H Walter, K Schnell, E Schramm, C Normann, D Schoepf, C Konrad, B Zurowski, B R Godlewska, P J Cowen, B W J H Penninx, N Jahanshad, P M Thompson, M J Wright, N G Martin, H Christensen, I B Hickie, for the ENIGMA-Major Depressive Disorder Working Group
Institutions: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, University of Southern California, The University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, Virginia Commonwealth University, The University of Sydney, Leiden University, Leiden University Medical Center, University of California, Irvine, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Universität Greifswald, University of Potsdam, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, University Hospital Heidelberg, University of Freiburg, University Medical Center Freiburg, Universitäre Psychiatrische Kliniken Basel, University of Bonn, Philipps University of Marburg, Agaplesion Diakonieklinikum Rotenburg, University of Lübeck, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Black Dog Institute, UNSW Sydney, Prince of Wales Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $5,290
Funders: ZonMw, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, National Institutes of Health, Medical Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Awards: Brain imaging study of twins, Genetic influences on the brain: A twin imaging study, Genetic & environmental pathways to drug use, abuse & dependence, A healthy start to life, preventative healthcare, strengthening Australias social economic fabric, G3506393344, Reducing suicide in Australia, G5314853868, Genetics of brain structure and function, ENIGMA Center for Worldwide Medicine, Imaging & Genomics, G7051567, G836522160
OpenAlex ID: W2611301184