Sleep Med Psychophysiol.  2014 Jun;21(1):29-32.

Insomnia in Relation to Suicide and Serotonin in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

• Park YM
• Kang SG
• Lee HJ
• Kim L

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The aim of current study is to evaluate the relationship between sleep, suicide and serotonin using some scales and loudness dependence of auditory evoked potentials (LDAEP).
METHODS
Total 65 patients who met the criteria for major depressive disorder were enrolled in current study. The patients were divided into two subgroups according to their insomnia and a history of suicide attempts. The auditory event-related potentials were measured to evaluate LDAEP before beginning antidepressants.
RESULTS
The scores of total Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and BDI item 9 (suicide) were higher in insomnia subgroup than non-insomnia subgroup (respectively, p=0.0033 and p=0.03). However, LDAEP did not differ each other. The subgroup with a history of suicide attempts had a higher score of BDI item 9 than the subgroup without a history of suicide attempts (p=0.00012). There was a tendency for the LDAEP to be higher in the subgroup with a history of suicide attempts (1.39+/-0.94 microV) than the subgroup without a history of suicide attempts (1.05+/-0.75 microV), although the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.078).
CONCLUSION
Suicidality was related to insomnia. In addition, there was a tendency for serotonin activity to be lower in the subgroup with a history of suicide attempts. In future, more studies are needed.

Keyword

Insomnia; Suicide; Serotonin; LDAEP

MeSH Terms

Antidepressive Agents
Depression
Depressive Disorder, Major*
Evoked Potentials
Evoked Potentials, Auditory
Humans
Serotonin*
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders*
Suicide*
Weights and Measures
Antidepressive Agents
Serotonin