LATE BREAKING TOPICS IN PSYCHIATRY 2012 

Minerva Psichiatrica 2012 June;53(2):107-22

Copyright © 2012 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Current knowledge on the behavioral triggers and underlying biology of suicide

Zill P.

Department of Psychiatry, Section of Psychiatric Genetics and Neurochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany

The concept that the interaction between a number of neurobiological systems and environmental stimuli, such as stressful life events contribute to the complex trait of suicidal behavior has stimulated much work aimed to identify the underlying susceptibility factors. This review examines the current knowledge about the behavioral triggers in suicidal behavior and neurobiological alterations, including disturbances in neurotransmitter-, signal transduction- and stress regulation systems, genetics and epigenetics and presents new approaches to investigate the complex phenotype of suicidal behavior.