Functional Imaging of Psychic Pain

Overview

Suicidal behaviour (SB) represents a major public health problem, costing life in more that one million people every year worldwide. Even if SB is considered as a consequence of social adversity and depression, these stress factors are often necessary but not sufficient to explain the occurrence of a suicidal act. A preliminary study suggests that an increased perception of psychic pain during a major depressive disorder increases the risk of suicide behaviour. The investigators aimed to investigate the relationship between social exclusion (a classic trigger of psychic pain) and SB and improve our knowledge about the physiopathology of this domain.

Suicide behaviour (SB) represents a major public health problem. In order to improve prevention strategies, a better understanding of the physiopathology of SB is needed. According to a "stress vulnerability" model, people who make a suicide attempt when they are subject to a stress factor (environmental stress, interpersonal difficulties, depression, tobacco, substance abuse...) are those who have a specific vulnerability. Vulnerability factors to SB may be considered in clinical terms (propensity to hopelessness, aggressive impulsivity traits), neurobiological terms (serotoninergic system disorder, especially in the ventral prefrontal cortex-vPFC) and cognitive terms (decision making, cognitive functions mediated by the vPFC and the serotoninergic system). Finally, genetic factors seem also involved in suicide vulnerability. The investigators have conducted a preliminary study which suggests that increased perception of psychic pain during a major depressive disorder increases suicidal ideation and suicidal act. Study about anatomic basis of psychic pain and its triggers represents a relevant theme to understand the suicidal process. Among the classical factors triggering psychic pain and suicidal act, events of social exclusion appears to be crucial. Finally, many data suggests the close relationship between physic and psychic pain.