Relevance of serotonergic postmortem studies to suicidal behavior

This is a review of postmortem studies in the brain of suicide victims. The main focus is on the serotonergic system, looking at both pre-and postsynaptic indices. It includes studies which measured the levels of serotonin and its metabolite 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid, as well as studies of serotonin 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 receptors, and the serotonin transporter. Reports on other transmitter systems are also included, as is a comparison of violent versus nonviolent deaths, depression and postmortem interval.