%0 Journal Article
%A Walter, Uwe
%A Kaulitz, Lara
%A Heilmann, Robert
%A Školoudík, David
%A Höppner-Buchmann, Jacqueline
%T Transcranial sonography of the brainstem raphe: A rapid tool to assess the long-term risk of violent suicidal behavior in patients with major depression.
%J Journal of affective disorders
%V 399
%@ 0165-0327
%C Amsterdam [u.a.]
%I Elsevier Science
%M DZNE-2026-00130
%P 121175
%D 2026
%X To assess the relationship between ultrasonographic changes in midbrain structures and subsequent violent suicidal behavior.We conducted a retrospective analysis of a previously reported cohort of 46 patients (36 women; age 54.9 ± 11.7 years) with major depression who had been prospectively observed over a ten-year period to assess the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. At study entry, all patients underwent transcranial B-mode sonography to grade the echogenicity of the midbrain raphe and substantia nigra. The outcome measure was the first occurrence of violent suicidal behavior, i.e. a serious suicide attempt or completed suicide.At baseline, four patients were found to have grade 1 raphe echogenicity (invisible), 23 had grade 2 (weakly echogenic), and 19 had normal grade 3 (strongly echogenic). The visually graded echogenicity correlated well with the digitally analyzed echo-intensity (p < 0.001). Three (75
%K Humans
%K Female
%K Male
%K Major Depressive Disorder: diagnostic imaging
%K Major Depressive Disorder: psychology
%K Middle Aged
%K Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial
%K Suicide, Attempted: psychology
%K Suicide, Attempted: statistics & numerical data
%K Retrospective Studies
%K Raphe Nuclei: diagnostic imaging
%K Adult
%K Suicide, Completed: psychology
%K Suicide, Completed: statistics & numerical data
%K Aged
%K Substantia Nigra: diagnostic imaging
%K Risk Factors
%K Violence: psychology
%K Parkinson Disease: diagnostic imaging
%K Depressive disorder (Other)
%K Diagnostic ultrasound (Other)
%K Fatal suicide (Other)
%K Midbrain raphe (Other)
%K Substantia nigra (Other)
%K Suicide prevention (Other)
%F PUB:(DE-HGF)16
%9 Journal Article
%$ pmid:41525941
%R 10.1016/j.jad.2026.121175
%U https://pub.dzne.de/record/284362