Background: Serotonergic dysfunction is believed to be involved in suicide attempts. The loudness-dependent auditory evoked potential (LDAEP) is one of the validated indicators of the activity of the central serotonin system in humans.
Objectives: This study was designed to investigate possible differences in the LDAEP and P300 between those depressed patients who attempted suicide and those who did not.
Methods: The LDAEP and P300 levels were recorded for 66 depressive patients (among which 16 had attempted suicide).
Results: Those who had attempted suicide showed a sharper slope of the LDAEP and increased frontal P300 amplitude. A high correlation between the LDAEP and P300, and a gender difference were also noted.
Conclusions: Our results are concordant with previous assumptions about serotonin dysfunction in depressives who attempt suicide.
Copyright 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel