Neuropsychological Correlates of Suicidal behavior

S. Hodgkinson; M. Jandl; W. P. Kaschka

doi:10.1055/s-0038-1627012

Nervenheilkunde, Table of Contents

Nervenheilkunde 2017; 36(04): 221-226
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1627012

Suizid

Schattauer GmbH

Neuropsychological Correlates of Suicidal behavior

Neuropsychologische Korrelate suizidalen Verhaltens

S. Hodgkinson

¹Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie I der Universität Ulm

,

M. Jandl

³Universitätsklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universität Bern, Schweiz

,

W. P. Kaschka

¹Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie I der Universität Ulm

²Zentrum für Psychiatrie (ZfP) Südwürttemberg, Ravensburg-Weissenau

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Summary

Cognitive theories of suicidal behavior postulate that the behavior of a suicidal individual stems from their irrational thoughts about negative and unpleasant events. Cognitive neuropsychology aims to understand how these (aberrant) cognitive processes relate to areas of the brain responsible for memory, speech, pattern recognition and problemsolving. Several neuropsychological correlates of suicidal behavior have been identified and a battery of neuropsychological tests have been used to compare individuals exhibiting suicidal behavior with those that do not. Drawing on the available research literature, we ask whether suicidal behavior has a distinct neuropsychological ‘signature’ and if so, what this signature tells us about its aetiology.

Zusammenfassung

Kognitive Theorien suizidalen Verhaltens postulieren, dass das Verhalten suizidaler Individuen auf irrationalen Vorstellungen über negative und unangenehme Ereignisse beruht. Die kognitive Neuropsychologie strebt an, die Beziehung zwischen diesen (aberranten) Prozessen und den Hirnregionen, welche für Gedächtnis, Hirnregionen, die für Gedächtnis, Sprache, Mustererkennung und Problemlösung verantwortlich sind, verständlich zu machen. Einige neuropsychologische Korrelate suizidalen Verhaltens konnten identifiziert werden. Neuropsychologische Tests wurden angewandt, um Personen mit und ohne suizidales Verhalten zu unterscheiden. Unter Bezugnahme auf die einschlägige wissenschaftliche Literatur stellen wir die Frage, ob suizidales Verhalten eine eindeutige neuropsychologische „Signatur” aufweist und, wenn dies der Fall ist, was diese „Signatur” über seine Ätiologie auszusagen vermag.

Keywords

Suicidal behavior - neuropsychological tests - cognitive rigidity - memory deficits - decisionmaking deficits - irrational behavior

Schlüsselwörter

Suizidales Verhalten - neuropsychologische Tests - kognitive Rigidität - Gedächtnisstörungen - Ambivalenz - irrationales Verhalten

Full Text

References

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