Early Warning System for Suicide?

People suffering from a major depressive disorder are often benefited by taking antidepressant medications. However, a fraction of patients on antidepressants fail to respond to treatment, and may even develop suicidal thoughts. These people who tend to get worse with medication may now be easily identified as early as 48 hours after the start of treatment, thanks to a group of researchers who have identified a biomarker that can detect signs of suicidal thoughts in depressive patients.

Reporting in the April edition of the peer-reviewed journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Aimee Hunter, an assistant research psychologist in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry, and colleagues report that by using quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG), a non-invasive measurement of electrical activity in the brain, they were able to observe a sharp reduction of activity in a specific brain region in individuals who proved susceptible to thoughts of suicide – within 48 hours of the start of treatment.

It was observed that about 13.5% of the participants in the study experienced a drop in electrical activity in the specified regions of the brain, indicating a worsening of their condition. The researchers noted that this is the first study to show a clear link between the administration of medication and increased suicide risk. Read the full article for more about the findings of the study.

Do you think that the test should become standard procedure for new patients who are starting on antidepressant medication? Share your thoughts with us!