Identifying the Neural Basis of Capability for Suicide

Active, not recruiting

• Conditions: Suicidal Ideation; Major Depressive Disorder; Suicide; Psychiatric Illness
• Interventions: Procedure: fMRI

• Registration Number: NCT03327129
• Lead Sponsor: Unity Health Toronto

Brief Summary

Since capability for suicide involves overriding potential pain, and the opioid system plays a strong role in controlling pain perception, it follows that capability for suicide may be impacted by the opioid system. The goal of the proposed research is to identify the neural network underlying capability for suicide in order to determine if it can be a target for identifying high-risk individuals and for intervention.

Detailed Description

Little evidence exists distinguishing individuals with suicidal ideation (SI) from those at risk for suicidal behaviour, illustrating the need for more comprehensive biomarkers for clinicians to guide their treatment approach and for new treatment avenues. Current theories of suicide have suggested the importance of an individual's capability for suicide in predicting suicide attempt or death. Building on this, Yovell and colleagues (2016) provided important preliminary data that the opioid system affects suicide risk, but the neural mechanisms and their relationship to capability for suicide are unclear. The goal of the proposed research is to identify the neural network underlying capability for suicide using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in order to determine if it can be a target for identifying high-risk individuals and for intervention.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2017-10-23
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-10-26
• Study First Posted: 2017-10-31
• Study Start: 2023-01-01
• Status Verified: 2024-08
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-08-16
• Last Update Posted: 2024-08-20
• Primary Completion: 2024-09
• Study Completion: 2024-09

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 90

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Healthy Controls	fMRI	Subjects will have no personal or family psychiatric history and no suicide attempts.
Patients with SI	fMRI	Subjects will have suicidal ideation (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale suicide item \>=2).

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Neural network underlying acquired capability for suicide	2 weeks	Measure the correlation between acquired capability for suicide and brain activity during a pressure pain task using fMRI in patients

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Correlation between pain task performance and acquired capability for suicide	2 weeks	Assess the association between pain task ratings and acquired capability for suicide in patients

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

St. Michael's Hospital; 🇨🇦 Toronto, Ontario, Canada