Citation

Abou Chahla MN, Khalil MI, Comai S, Brundin L, Erhardt S, Guillemin GJ. Brain Sci. 2023; 13(3).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Switzerland Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI) AG)

DOI

10.3390/brainsci13030505

PMID

36979315

PMCID

PMC10046421

Abstract

Suicide, a global health burden, represents the 17th leading cause of death worldwide (1.3%), but the 4th among young people aged between 15 and 29 years of age, according to World Health Organization (WHO), 2019. Suicidal behaviour is a complex, multi-factorial, polygenic and independent mental health problem caused by a combination of alterations and dysfunctions of several biological pathways and disruption of normal mechanisms in brain regions that remain poorly understood and need further investigation to be deciphered. Suicide complexity and unpredictability gained international interest as a field of research. Several studies have been conducted at the neuropathological, inflammatory, genetic, and molecular levels to uncover the triggers behind suicidal behaviour and develop convenient and effective therapeutic or at least preventive procedures. This review aims to summarise and focus on current knowledge of diverse biological pathways involved in the neurobiology of suicidal behaviour, and briefly highlights future potential therapeutic pathways to prevent or even treat this significant public health problem.

Language: en

Keywords

risk factors; suicide; suicidal ideation; psychiatric disorders; suicide attempts; epigenetics; hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; kynurenine pathway; neuroinflammation