A Review of the Neurological Patterns of Emotions, Excitement, Thoughts, and Self-harming Behaviors

Fayazian , Pedram

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Fayazian P. A Review of the Neurological Patterns of Emotions, Excitement, Thoughts, and Self-harming Behaviors. MEJDS 2025; 15 (0) :33-33
URL: http://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-3268-en.html

A Review of the Neurological Patterns of Emotions, Excitement, Thoughts, and Self-harming Behaviors

Pedram Fayazian ^*

MA in General Psychology, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: (895 Views)

Abstract
Background & Objectives: Suicide can be dangerous, either in the form of thoughts or emotions that may predict suicide. Suicidal behavior is significantly comorbid with several neuropsychiatric disorders, such as borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. Suicidal behavior is a leading cause of preventable mortality among individuals with these conditions. To improve the prevention and intervention efforts, we need to increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying suicidal ideation and behaviors (such as suicide attempts) in youth. The predictive value of currently identified biological risk factors for suicide is limited, and a reliable biological risk marker has yet to be determined. To prevent suicide more effectively, there is an urgent need to better understand the mechanisms that increase suicide attempts (suicidal thoughts and behaviors) in the first place, emotions related to suicide in the second place, and suicidal thoughts in the third place. Biomarkers of suicidal risk are crucial for developing more targeted and successful prevention strategies and monitoring responses to them. Therefore, the study aims to review the neurological patterns associated with emotions, thoughts, and self–harming behaviors.
Methods: The current research was a systematic review, and its methodology was based on collecting, classifying, and summarizing the findings of scientific research articles related to neurological patterns of emotions, thoughts, and self–harming behaviors. The key terms of neurology, self–injurious thoughts, self–injurious behavior, brain circuits, and emotions were searched using Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect, spanning from 2010 to 2023. The inclusion criteria included keywords related to the subject, i.e., neurological patterns of emotions, emotions, thoughts, and self–harming behaviors, as well as articles related to the subject, the place of execution, and the year of the subject. The exclusion criteria were articles that were not accessible in their full text. After searching for keywords and collecting the obtained studies, duplicate and irrelevant articles were eliminated. In the next step, the articles were examined and selected according to the necessary criteria, including the credibility of the journals in which the articles were published. Finally, 50 articles were selected and included in the study for review. It is worth noting that to collect studies, browsers such as Firefox and Google Chrome were utilized.
Results: In this model, people's excitement and emotions were revealed first, then thoughts, and finally, suicide attempts were considered. The results showed that different areas of the frontal cortex, including the anterior–lateral prefrontal cortex, the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, and the cingulate cortex, were involved. Additionally, structural and functional changes, such as a reduction in the volume of these areas and connections with other brain areas, were observed. Also, the reduction of the integrity of the white matter in the corpus callosum was an interesting finding. In addition, there is an increase in activity in the amygdala and hippocampus areas, and in people with a history of suicide, the hippocampus has a smaller volume. A reduction in the volume of white and gray matter in the temporal lobe, insula, lenticular nucleus, midbrain, and cerebellum was also seen in people with a history of suicide attempts. A significant finding was the reduction of cortical thickness in the left hemisphere, mainly in the insula, in subjects with suicidal ideation without attempted suicide. Finally, serotonergic changes in the amygdala and hippocampus are associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors in psychiatric disorders, and altered functioning in these areas is associated with increased self–recall, psychological pain, reduced immediate reward processing, and impaired foresight.
Conclusion: Based on the overall findings of this systematic review, different parts of the brain of people who have suicidal thoughts, behavior, or emotions have many differences from those of normal people, and this difference is both functional and structural.

Keywords: Neuroscience, Self–injurious thoughts, Self–injurious behavior, Brain circuits, Excitement and emotions

Full-Text [PDF 357 kb] (209 Downloads)

Type of Study: Systematic Review Article | Subject: Psychology

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