Synapse loss linking loneliness and suicide risk in older adults
Role of synaptic density in mediating the relation between social disconnection and late-life suicide risk
This work will see whether having fewer brain synapses in emotion-related areas helps explain how feeling socially disconnected raises suicide risk in older adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11238544 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You'll be invited to have a molecular brain scan that measures synapse levels in emotion-related brain regions and to complete interviews or questionnaires about social connectedness and suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Researchers will compare scan results with these measures to determine if lower synaptic density helps explain the link between social disconnection and suicide risk. They will also look for differences between men and women and connect their findings to prior animal and postmortem research to guide future prevention approaches.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Older adults who feel socially disconnected or lonely and are willing to undergo brain imaging and clinical interviews would be the best fit for participation.
Not a fit: People who are not experiencing social disconnection, are much younger than the target late-life group, or cannot undergo PET-type brain scans (for medical or pregnancy reasons) are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify a biological pathway linking loneliness to suicide risk and point to targets for interventions to reduce suicide in older adults.
How similar studies have performed: Prior MRI, postmortem, and animal studies suggest lower corticolimbic synaptic density in social disconnection and suicidality, but this is the first in vivo molecular imaging test of that mechanism in living older adults.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Esterlis, Irina — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Esterlis, Irina
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.