Presentation Date: Friday 08 March, 2019
Presenter: Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, PhD
The overall aim of the MSRC-funded study, “Using Brain Imaging to Study Suicide Risk” was to identify neurobiological correlates of suicide behavior in a Veteran population using advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. It was hypothesized that Veterans with a history of suicide behavior would demonstrate significant differences in prefrontal neurobiology when compared to Veterans with no history of suicide behavior. In addition to clinical measures of suicide behavior and psychiatric diagnosis all veteran participants completed measures of brain biochemistry (magnetic resonance spectroscopy), brain structural connectivity (diffusion tensor imaging) and brain functional connectivity (resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging). Results from these imaging modalities indicated neurobiological changes in Veterans with a history of suicide attempts. This webinar provided an overview of these brain imaging techniques and insight into how such neuroimaging holds the promise of providing a new and powerful tool for studying, diagnosing, and directing the treatment of suicidality.