Psychiatria pre prax 3/2014
Neurochemical correlates of suicidal behavior
Interest in the neurochemistry of suicidal behavior began in the 1960s, when an increase in 17-hydroxycorticosteroid levels was discovered in the urine of depressed suicidal patients. Since then, many studies have tried to uncover the neurobiological and genetic underpinnings of suicidality. This review summarizes the most remarkable neurochemical findings in several neurotransmitter systems, particularly the serotonergic system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
Keywords: suicidal behavior, serotonergic system, noradrenergic system, dopaminergic system, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
