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The British Journal of Psychiatry (2002) 181: 72-75
© 2002 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Sudden death and suicide: a comparison of brain weight

S. J. HAMILTON, MB, ChB

Department of Histopathology, Manchester Royal Infirmary, UK

R. F. T. McMAHON, MD

Department of Histopathology, Manchester Royal Infirmary, UK and Laboratory Medicine Academic Group, University of Manchester, UK

Correspondence: Ray McMahon, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Oxford Road, Manchester MI3 9WL, UK. E-mail: ray.mcmahon{at}man.ac.uk

Declaration of interest None.

Background Recent evidence suggests that the brain weight of individuals over the age of 60 who commit suicide is significantly higher than in those who die of natural causes.

Aims To ascertain whether brain weight is different in people of a younger age who commit suicide than in those who die accidentally.

Method A retrospective review of post-mortem reports collecting height, weight and brain weight in 100 suicide victims (87 males, mean age 38.5 years) and 100 age/gender-matched controls who died accidentally or of natural causes (87 males, mean age 38.7 years). Comparison by t-test was made of brain weight in isolation as well as brain weight corrected for height, weight and body mass index.

Results These results reveal no significant difference in brain weight in suicide cases compared to the general population (P > 0.05). The brain weight of those who died by hanging was significantly higher than of those who died by overdose.

Conclusions Whatever the significant neuropsychiatric elements are that influence suicidal behaviour, they do not consistently affect brain weight in the population studied.




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