Cortisol and Hippocampal Volume as Predictors of Active Suicidal Behavior in Major Depressive Disorder: Case Report

Cortisol and Hippocampal Volume as Predictors of Active Suicidal Behavior in Major Depressive Disorder: Case Report

Background: Suicide is frequently encountered in patients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD). Since only a third of treated depressed patients are able to achieve remission, in the last few years, new theories have been proposed to better understand the mechanism of this illness. Our paper analyzes the interrelation between cortisol as a marker of neuroendocrine theory as a response to stress, and hippocampal volume subfields in depression as a marker of neurogenesis and neuroplasticity theory. Case Report: Here we present the case of a 52-yearold male patient with known history of MDD, who died as a result of completed suicide by hanging. The patient had been recently discharged from a psychiatric clinic, after being hospitalized for a major depressive episode (MDE). The result of the autopsy, medical records, laboratory analysis and a magnetic resonance image (MRI) of the patient were analyzed. Both the right and left volumes of the hippocampus were found to be smaller when compared to normal values reported in the literature. The morning level of cortisol was higher than the normal value. Conclusion: In a depressed patient with an acute stressful event, high levels of cortisol associated with decreased volume of the hippocampus could represent predictors for an increased risk of suicide.

___

  • Serafini G. Neuroplasticity and major depression, the role of modern antidepressant drugs. World J Psychiatry 2012;2:49-57. [CrossRef]
  • Duric V, Banasr M, Stockmeier C, Simen A, Newton SS, Over- holser JC, et al. Altered expression of synapse and glutamate re- lated genes in post-mortem hippocampus of depressed subjects. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2013;16:69-82. [CrossRef]
  • Fuchsova B, Alvarez Juliá A, Rizavi HS, Frasch AC, Pandey GN. Altered expression of neuroplasticity-related genes in the brain of depressed suicides. Neuroscience 2015;299:1-17.[CrossRef]
  • Gorgulu Y, Caliyurt O. Rapid antidepressant effects of sleep de- privation therapy correlates with serum BDNF changes in major depression. Brain Res Bull 2009;80:158-62. [CrossRef]
  • FreeSurfer (The General Hospital Corporation, Boston MA, USA ("MGH")). FreeSurfer Software 2013 Retrieved May 20 2015, Available from http://surfer.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/
  • Tae WS, Kim SS, Lee KU, Nam EC, Kim KW. Validation of hippocampal volumes measured using a manual method and two automated methods (FreeSurfer and IBASPM) in chronic major depressive disorder. Neuroradiology 2008;50:569-81. [CrossRef]
  • Walhovd KB, Fjell AM, Reinvang I, Lundervold A, Dale AM, Eilertsen DE, et al. Effects of age on volumes of cor- tex, white matter and subcortical structures. Neurobiol Aging 2005;26:1261-70. [CrossRef]
  • Maletic V, Robinson M, Oakes T, Iyengar S, Ball SG, Russell J. Neurobiology of depression: an integrated view of key findings. Int J Clin Pract 2007;61:2030-40. [CrossRef]
  • Cowen PJ. Cortisol, serotonin and depression: all stressed out? Br J Psychiatry 2002;180:99-100. [CrossRef]
  • Holsboer F, Ising M. Stress hormone regulation: biological role and translation into therapy. Annu Rev Psychol 2010;61:81-109. [CrossRef]
Balkan Medical Journal-Cover
  • ISSN: 2146-3123
  • Yayın Aralığı: 6
  • Başlangıç: 2015
  • Yayıncı: Galenos Yayınevi
Sayıdaki Diğer Makaleler

Use of Systemic Rosmarinus Officinalis to Enhance the Survival of Random-Pattern Skin Flaps

Mehmet DADACI, Fatma BİLGEN, Bilsev İNCE, Ayşe Özlem GÜNDEŞLİOĞLU, Sümeyye KOZACIOĞLU

Altered Chondrocyte Apoptosis Status in Developmental Hip Dysplasia in Rabbits

Dai-He Lİ, Dian-Ming JİANG, Yi-Shan WEİ, Wan-Lin LİU

Intraarticular Giant Size Angiolipoma of the Knee Causing Lateral Patellar Dislocation

Duygu AYAZ, Önder KALENDERER, Ali TURGUT, Gökhan İLYAS

MyD 88 Polymorphisms in Children Diagnosed with Sepsis

Hayri Levent YILMAZ, Ali Erdinç YALIN, Rıza Dinçer YILDIZDAŞ, Kıymet AKSOY, Gülsüm UÇAR, Fatma Derya ÖZDURAN, Yaşar SERTDEMİR, Özden Özgür HOROZ, Sinem GÖKAY SARI, Mustafa YILMAZ

An Unusual Neck Mass: Ingested Chicken Bone

İbrahim ÇUKUROVA, Metin İBER, Erhan DEMİRHAN, Özlem YAĞIZ, Tolga KANDOĞAN

Frequency of Nerve Root Sleeve Cysts in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

Mehmet Rıza ALTIPARMAK, Elvan CEYHAN, Sait ALBAYRAM, Zehra HASILOĞLU IŞIK, Nilgül AKALIN, Necmeddin TUNÇ, Murat AŞIK, Timur Selçuk AKPINAR, Tevfik ECDER, Fatih TUFAN

Prothrombin Complex Concentrates in Life-Threatening Bleeding

Mustafa Burak SAYHAN, Ömer SALT, Ahmet Muzaffer DEMİR

A Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Subglottic Larynx: Case Report and Literature Review

Ki Yeol LEE, Sung-Joon PARK, Young Hen LEE, Kyoung Ho OH, Younghye KİM

Multimodality Imaging Findings of a Renal Aspergilloma

Işın KILIÇASLAN, Merve GÜLBİZ KARTAL, Mesut BULAKÇI, Sena TUNÇER, Erhan ÇELENK

Inhibitory Effect of Pycnogenol® on Airway Inflammation in Ovalbumin-Induced Allergic Rhinitis

Buket DEMİRCİ, İbrahim METEOĞLU, Ceren GÜNEL, Aylin ERYILMAZ, İmran Kurt ÖMÜRLÜ, Yeşim BAŞAL, Mustafa YILMAZ