Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis hyperactivity is associated with decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor in female suicide attempters
Introduction: Both decreased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation may be involved in the pathophysiology of suicidal behaviour, as well as cognitive symptoms of depression. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have shown interactions between HPA-axis activity and BDNF, but this has not been studied in a clinical cohort of suici