Abstract
Suicide is a serious public health problem in the US, yet its neurobiological underpinnings are poorly understood. Suicide is highly correlated with depressive symptoms, and considerable evidence suggests that depression is associated with a relative deficiency in serotonergic neurotransmission. Serotonergic circuits also mediate impulsivity, a trait obviously relevant to suicide. These findings, taken together, suggest that alterations in the serotonergic system might contribute to suicidal behavior, serving as an impetus for researchers to scrutinize the serotonin transporter (SERT) as a potential substrate for the pathophysiology of suicide. Using post-mortem brain tissue, platelets, and DNA from suicide completers and attempters have not provided unequivocal evidence for a pre-eminent role for the SERT in the pathophysiology of suicide. This paper provides a review of several studies that have evaluated the role of the SERT in the pathophysiology of suicide.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 613-619 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| State | Published - Apr 1 2003 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pharmacology
Cite this
Serotonin transporter : a potential substrate in the biology of suicide. / Purselle, David C.; Nemeroff, Charles.
In: Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Vol. 28, No. 4, 01.04.2003, p. 613-619.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Serotonin transporter
T2 - a potential substrate in the biology of suicide.
AU - Purselle, David C.
AU - Nemeroff, Charles
PY - 2003/4/1
Y1 - 2003/4/1
N2 - Suicide is a serious public health problem in the US, yet its neurobiological underpinnings are poorly understood. Suicide is highly correlated with depressive symptoms, and considerable evidence suggests that depression is associated with a relative deficiency in serotonergic neurotransmission. Serotonergic circuits also mediate impulsivity, a trait obviously relevant to suicide. These findings, taken together, suggest that alterations in the serotonergic system might contribute to suicidal behavior, serving as an impetus for researchers to scrutinize the serotonin transporter (SERT) as a potential substrate for the pathophysiology of suicide. Using post-mortem brain tissue, platelets, and DNA from suicide completers and attempters have not provided unequivocal evidence for a pre-eminent role for the SERT in the pathophysiology of suicide. This paper provides a review of several studies that have evaluated the role of the SERT in the pathophysiology of suicide.
AB - Suicide is a serious public health problem in the US, yet its neurobiological underpinnings are poorly understood. Suicide is highly correlated with depressive symptoms, and considerable evidence suggests that depression is associated with a relative deficiency in serotonergic neurotransmission. Serotonergic circuits also mediate impulsivity, a trait obviously relevant to suicide. These findings, taken together, suggest that alterations in the serotonergic system might contribute to suicidal behavior, serving as an impetus for researchers to scrutinize the serotonin transporter (SERT) as a potential substrate for the pathophysiology of suicide. Using post-mortem brain tissue, platelets, and DNA from suicide completers and attempters have not provided unequivocal evidence for a pre-eminent role for the SERT in the pathophysiology of suicide. This paper provides a review of several studies that have evaluated the role of the SERT in the pathophysiology of suicide.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0038210320&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 12655305
AN - SCOPUS:0038210320
VL - 28
SP - 613
EP - 619
JO - Neuropsychopharmacology
JF - Neuropsychopharmacology
SN - 0893-133X
IS - 4
ER -