Suicidal behavior can be associated with malfunctioning of proteinaceous growth factors of neurons, and indications of this are easy to find with a simple blood test.
Psychologists and physicians are actively looking for ways to predict suicidal tendencies - by patterns of brain cell activity and even by blood composition. In particular, it is believed that impaired neuroplasticity, the formation of new connections by neurons and the removal of old ones, can play a role in the development of such conditions, which weakens the brain's ability to adapt to changing life circumstances.
An important role in the regulation of these processes is played by the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which is necessary for the survival and development of neurons in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. The correlation between disturbances in BDNF function and suicidal pathophysiological manifestations has already been repeatedly shown.
To better understand the possible role of BDNF, Brandon Gibb and colleagues at Binghamton University in New York turned to data from a study on anxiety and depression in children. At the same time, their parents also underwent extensive psychological and medical examination, including health status, personal history, habits, socio-economic status. Scientists used information from 73 mothers participating in the study of children.
This set was divided into two groups: 34 members from the first group tried to commit suicide in the past, 39 members from the second - never. In addition to additional psychological tests, blood samples were taken from them to determine the content of the protein factor BDNF. Indeed, in an article published by the journal Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, Gibb et al. Conclude that BDNF levels are lower in the blood plasma of people who have ever attempted suicide, despite the fact that, on average, the participants have already about 13 years old.
This decrease was not accompanied by changes in the amount of other protein factors in the blood, which could indicate the current stress state. This makes BDNF a potentially important marker for assessing personal history, although this correlation will need to be better studied before evaluating this protein enters medical practice. And for a start - to show how much it persists in men.
Sergey Vasiliev