Weakened brain connections tied to suicide attempts in depressed patients, Korean psychiatrists find

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South Korean researchers have identified distinct changes in the brain networks of depressed patients who have attempted suicide, offering new insight into the neurological factors that may influence suicide risk.

A team led by psychiatry professors Han Kyu-man and Ham Byung-joo, at Korea University Anam Hospital, said Wednesday that patients with a history of suicide attempts showed significantly weaker connectivity between the brain’s visual cortex, which interprets visual information and reconstructs imagery from memory, and the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for judgment and emotional regulation.

The findings are based on an analysis of 123 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder, who were divided into groups according to whether they had previously attempted suicide. Their brain activity was compared with that of 81 healthy individuals.

Researchers used resting-state functional MRI scans, clinical assessments and a standardized childhood trauma questionnaire to compare differences in neural networks.

According to the study, weakened communication between the visual cortex and the prefrontal cortex may make it more difficult for the brain to pass internally generated images and memories to the region responsible for regulating emotions, potentially increasing vulnerability to suicide attempts.

The team also found that patients who reported higher levels of childhood physical neglect showed reduced connectivity between the same brain regions. The researchers said the findings suggest that early-life adversity may influence the development of neural circuits associated with emotional control.

“A suicide attempt in depressed patients may not simply reflect more severe symptoms but could be related to structural differences in brain connectivity,” Han said. “This study underscores the need to understand suicide risk through the functional characteristics of neural networks beyond clinical symptoms.”

The findings were published in an international journal of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.

This story has been translated from Korean-language sources using AI and edited by the Korea Herald. Reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but as with all automated translations, some errors may occur. -- Ed.