News Editor: Renato M.E. Sabbatini, PhD
Suicide is linked to neurotransmitters
New studies indicate that people who commit suicide have not enough serotonin, a brain chemical that controls mood.
Serotonin normally helps people restrain their impulses. Without enough of the chemical, they may act on their suicidal thoughts.
This shows that psychiatric illnesses and suicide are brain-related disorders, researchers say.
In Washington, at a workshop on suicide research, scientists said they have pinpointed an area near the front of the brain where the biochemical activity seems to go awry in people who commit suicide.
Now, through techniques like this, scientists are trying to see if they can detect the same abnormality in the brains of people who are alive.
SOURCE: Fitness and Health. The Brain Stories