Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience : JPN
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J Psychiatry Neurosci · Nov 2010
Dysregulation of the sympathetic nervous system, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and executive function in individuals at risk for suicide.
Suicidal behaviour aggregates in families, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and noradrenergic dysregulation may play a role in suicide risk. It is unclear whether stress dysregulation is a heritable trait of suicide or how it might increase risk. We investigated stress reactivity of the autonomic nervous system and the HPA axis in suicide predisposition and characterized the effect of this dysregulation on neuropsychologic function. ⋯ Blunted stress response may be a trait of suicide risk, and impairment of stress-induced executive function may contribute to suicide vulnerability.