Cognitive and emotional impairments underpinning suicidal activity in patients with mood disorders: an fMRI study
Abstract
Objective: Mood disorders are strongly associated with suicide, the prevention of which is predicated on timely detection of suicidal activity (ideation, behaviour). Building on our previous work, we sought to determine the nature of neural responses to an emotional‐cognitive task in patients with varying degrees of suicidal activity. Method: Seventy‐nine patients with mood disorders were assessed clinically and scanned using fMRI. Neural responses to an Emotional Face‐Word Stroop task were compared with 66 healthy controls. We identified regions of interest from seven key networks and examined responses to incongruent stimuli (Happy face‐‘Sad’ word; Sad face‐‘Happy’ word). Results: In comparison with healthy controls, patients had differential activity during both incongruent conditions. When examining for associations with suicidal activity within the patient group, those with higher scores had decreased default mode network activity for Happy face‐‘Sad’ word manipulation, and increased basal ganglia network activity for Sad face‐‘Happy’ word manipulation, after controlling for patient characteristics. Conclusion: The fMRI findings suggest that suicidal activity in patients with mood disorders may be underpinned by cognitive–emotional deficits. These findings have implications for future suicide research and for achieving a deeper understanding of suicidal activity that may ultimately inform clinical detection and management.
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These studies have mostly assessed suicide risk in larger clinical samples of participants diagnosed with mood disorders and other psychiatric conditions with which suicide is a comorbid phenotype, but rarely have they investigated suicide transdiagnostically.
“Finally, these studies have mostly assessed suicide risk in larger clinical samples of participants diagnosed with mood disorders (64–75) and other psychiatric conditions (76–79) with which suicide is a comorbid phenotype, but rarely have they investigated suicide transdiagnostically.”
From New methods for assessing rapid changes in suicide risk (2021) · cites this paper as [67]
In adults diagnosed with mood disorders, suicide attempt is associated with changes in default mode and basal ganglia connectivity during an emotional face-word Stroop Task.
“In adults diagnosed with mood disorders, suicide attempt was associated with changes in default mode and basal ganglia connectivity during an emotional face-word Stroop Task (67).”
From New methods for assessing rapid changes in suicide risk (2021) · cites this paper as [67]
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New methods for assessing rapid changes in suicide risk
Ballard, E. D., Gilbert, J. R., Wusinich, C., & Zarate, C. A. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.598434 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
- Authors
- Malhi, G. S., Das, P., Outhred, T., Gessler, D., John Mann, J., & Bryant, R.
- Affiliations
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Department of Psychiatry Columbia University New York NY USA
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Malhi, G. S.
- Venue
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2019-04
- Volume
- 139
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 454-463
- ISSN
- 0001-690X (ISSN-L)
- 1600-0447
- OpenAlex
- W2921997291
- Cited by
- 28
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 4
- FWCI
- 5.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Sydney Medical School Foundation
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (PRG‐0‐090‐14, SRG‐0‐089‐16)
- National Health and Medical Research Council (APP1073041)
- Australian Rotary Health
- AstraZeneca
- Eli Lilly and Company
- Pfizer
- Servier
- Wyeth
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- suicidal ideation, mood disorders, suicide, default mode network, basal ganglia network, suicide prevention, suicide detection
- MeSH terms
- Suicide Prevention, Adult, Basal Ganglia, Brain, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, Cross-Sectional Studies, Emotions, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Nerve Net, Case-Control Studies, Mood Disorders, Suicidal Ideation
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