ABNORMALITY OF EEG-ALPHA ASYMMETRY IN FEMALE ADOLESCENT SUICIDE ATTEMPTERS

Abnormal electroencephalographic (EEG) activity has been associated wi th various psychiatric disorders and behaviors, including depression, suicide and aggression. We examined quantitative resting EEG in Hispan ic female adolescent suicide attempters and matched normal controls. C omputerized EEG measures were recorded at 11 scalp sites during eyes o pen and eyes closed periods from 16 suicide attempters and 22 normal c ontrols. Suicide attempters differed from normal controls in alpha asy mmetry. Normal adolescents had greater alpha (less activation) over ri ght than left hemisphere, whereas suicidal adolescents had a nonsignif icant asymmetry in the opposite direction. Nondepressed attempters wer e distinguished from depressed attempters in that they accounted for t he preponderance of abnormal asymmetry, particularly in posterior regi ons. Alpha asymmetry over posterior regions was related to rating of s uicidal intent, but not depression severity. The alpha asymmetry in su icidal adolescents resembled that seen for depressed adults in its abn ormal direction, but not in its regional distribution. Findings for su icidal adolescents are discussed in terms of a hypothesis of reduced l eft posterior activation, which is not related to depression but to su icidal or aggressive behaviour.