This application for a two year Geriatric Mental Health Academic Award renewal has the long-term objective of providing the Principal Investigator with a thorough understanding of, and experience with, clinical pathological correlation in psychogeriatric research. Towards that end, he will couple ongoing studies of the psychopathology of suicide in the elderly with the investigation of a likely neurobiological correlate to late life suicide -- hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction. Based on an empirically derived model, the proposed studies test the hypothesis that late life suicide is a behavioral expression of neurobiological changes which result from age associated alterations in HPA axis feedback regulation.
The specific aims of the proposal are to explore the state of the HPA axis in both completed and attempted suicides using a variety of neurochemical, molecular biological, and drug challenge techniques; to define the relationship of these neurobiological variables to psychiatric symptomatology and diagnosis; and, through long-term follow-up, to determine the relationship of HPA axis functioning to course of illness and outcome.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Academic/Teacher Award (ATA) (K07)
Project #
2K07MH000748-04
Application #
3077746
Study Section
Life Course and Prevention Research Review Committee (LCR)
Project Start
1988-08-01
Project End
1993-07-31
Budget Start
1991-09-01
Budget End
1992-07-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1991
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Rochester
Department
Type
Schools of Dentistry
DUNS #
208469486
City
Rochester
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14627
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Duberstein, P R (1995) Openness to experience and completed suicide across the second half of life. Int Psychogeriatr 7:183-98
Duberstein, P R; Conwell, Y; Caine, E D (1994) Age differences in the personality characteristics of suicide completers: preliminary findings from a psychological autopsy study. Psychiatry 57:213-24

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