Understanding the Association Between Oxytocin Levels in Serum, Plasma, and CSF in Individuals with Suicide Attempt: a Systematic Review

AbstractPurpose of ReviewTo provide a systematic review of clinical studies that have measured oxytocin levels in plasma, serum, and CSF of individuals with suicide attempts. We searched in PubMed, Web of Science, and Science Direct for published studies to perform a systematic analysis.Recent FindingsWe identified five studies that searched for a correlation between oxytocin concentration and suicide attempts, which included 160 cases and 144 healthy controls. Three studies had a high NOS scale rank (NOS scores of 7), and two had a moderate NOS scale rank (NOS scores of 6). Studies reported that individuals who attempted suicide had lower oxytocin levels than controls, though no conclusive outcomes were attained. Individuals exposed to violence as children and as adults (revictimized) showed significantly lower oxytocin levels in plasma when compared to non-revictimized individuals with SA.SummaryAlthough the present systematic review revealed a possible influence of oxytocin levels on the risk of suicide attempt, the results of the present systematic review need to be confirmed by evaluating larger-size samples.
Source: Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research