Reduced Neuropeptide Y Concentrations in Suicide Brain

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) was measured in postmortem brain tissue from victims of suicide and from individuals dying a sudden natural or accidental death (controls). Concentrations of NPY‐immunoreactivity were measured by radioimmunoassay in frontal cortex (BA 10), temporal cortex (BA 22), caudate nucleus, and cerebellum. Concentrations of NPY‐immunoreactivity were significantly lower in postmortem frontal cortex (−14%) and caudate nucleus (−27%) from suicide victims compared with age‐matched controls. A subgroup of suicides with evidence of a history of depression revealed more robust reductions in concentrations of NPY‐immunoreactivity in frontal cortex and caudate nucleus, as did four individuals who died from natural causes and also were described as having a possible history of depression. Concentrations of NPY‐immunoreactivity in temporal cortex and cerebellum from victims of suicide or from the subgroup of subjects with a possible history of depression were not significantly different from those of age‐matched controls. We suggest there is a deficit in the brain NPY system leading to region‐specific reductions in peptide concentrations in subjects who have a history of depression.