Effect of External Locus-of-Hope on Acquired Capability for Suicide

Researchers have investigated the role of hope as a protective factor against suicide. Of the 3 factors posited by Joiner\u27s interpersonal theory of suicide (IPTS) to be necessary before suicide can occur, increased hope has been shown to reduce 2 (thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness), but, counterintuitively, to increase the 3rd (acquired capability for suicide). A fuller understanding of this phenomenon may lie with Bernardo\u27s locus-of-hope construct-pursuant to which hope may lie not only in one\u27s own plans and capabilities (internal locus-of-hope) but in those of others (external locus-of-hope) but to date no study has researched the relationship between external locus-of-hope and acquired capability for suicide. The purpose of this quantitative study was to contribute to the understanding of hope and suicidality by examining the following research question: Is there a relationship between external locus-of-hope and acquired capability for suicide? The study used existing objective instruments to measure levels of hope and acquired capability for suicide. Data from a sample recruited online (N = 193) was analyzed using a 3-step hierarchical regression procedure designed to isolate the effects of external locus-of-hope on acquired capability for suicide. Results confirmed that internal locus-of-hope raises acquired capability for suicide and demonstrated that external locus-of-hope has the opposite effect: it is associated with lowered acquired capability for suicide. It follows that interventions designed to raise one\u27s level of externally located hope have the potential to deter suicidal individuals from actualizing their plans. This study thus has implications for positive social change by contributing to the saving of lives

The pulsating brain: A review of experimental and clinical studies of intracranial pulsatility

The maintenance of adequate blood flow to the brain is critical for normal brain function; cerebral blood flow, its regulation and the effect of alteration in this flow with disease have been studied extensively and are very well understood. This flow is not steady, however; the systolic increase in blood pressure over the cardiac cycle causes regular variations in blood flow into and throughout the brain that are synchronous with the heart beat. Because the brain is contained within the fixed skull, these pulsations in flow and pressure are in turn transferred into brain tissue and all of the fluids contained therein including cerebrospinal fluid. While intracranial pulsatility has not been a primary focus of the clinical community, considerable data have accrued over the last sixty years and new applications are emerging to this day. Investigators have found it a useful marker in certain diseases, particularly in hydrocephalus and traumatic brain injury where large changes in intracranial pressure and in the biomechanical properties of the brain can lead to significant changes in pressure and flow pulsatility. In this work, we review the history of intracranial pulsatility beginning with its discovery and early characterization, consider the specific technologies such as transcranial Doppler and phase contrast MRI used to assess various aspects of brain pulsations, and examine the experimental and clinical studies which have used pulsatility to better understand brain function in health and with disease

Response to comments on "magnetic resonance spectroscopy identifies neural progenitor cells in the live human brain"

We reported on a neural progenitor cell biomarker, a lipid-based metabolite enriched in these cells, which we detected using spectroscopy both in vitro and in vivo, and singular value decomposition–based signal processing. The study provided an outline of our computational methodology. Herein, we report more extensively on the method of spectrum analysis used, demonstrating the specificity of our findings