Biochemical Correlates of MRI White Matter Hyperintensities

The aims of the study are to investigate the relationship between the presence of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and blood biochemical anomalies in Romanian adult psychiatric patients. The authors performed a transversal research onto 2 study groups: a group of 40 psychiatric patients with a suicidal attempt history and a group of 45 psychiatric patients without declarative suicidal ideation (control group). At MRI, a higher rate of Fazekas type 1 and 2 WMH was encountered in patients with suicidal attempt compared to control group. Patients with a history of suicidal attempt also registered lower levels of cholesterol and platelet serotonin compared to control group (p < 0.001). Other blood parameters (triglycerides, total proteins, blood cells) registered no statistically significant differences. Relative risk analysis showed that the presence of deep and periventricular WMH associated with low level of cholesterol and platelet serotonin increase the risk of suicidal attempt. The presence of morphological brain alterations and biochemical blood anomalies can predict a potential suicidal attempt in psychiatric patients.