Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Jul 22;11(8):729.
doi: 10.3390/life11080729.

Neuroimaging Studies of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Youth: A Systematic Review

Marcelo J A A Brañas  1   2 , Marcos S Croci  1   2 , Ana Beatriz Ravagnani Salto  1   2 , Victoria F Doretto  1   2 , Eduardo Martinho Jr  2 , Marcos Macedo  3 , Euripedes C Miguel  1   2 , Leonardo Roever  1   2 , Pedro M Pan  1   3
Affiliations
Review

Neuroimaging Studies of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Youth: A Systematic Review

Marcelo J A A Brañas et al. Life (Basel). .

Abstract

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is prevalent and affects mainly the youth population. It is prospectively associated with suicide attempts, making it a target for suicide prevention. Recently, several studies have investigated neural pathways of NSSI using neuroimaging. However, there is a lack of systematized appraisal of these findings. This systematic review aims to identify and summarize the main neuroimaging findings of NSSI in youth. We followed PRISMA statement guidelines and searched MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, and Google Scholar databases for neuroimaging studies, irrespective of imaging modality, specifically investigating NSSI in samples with a mean age of up to 25 years old. Quality assessment was made using the Newcastle-Ottawa and Joanna Briggs Institute scales. The initial search retrieved 3030 articles; 21 met inclusion criteria, with a total of 938 subjects. Eighteen studies employed functional neuroimaging techniques such as resting-state and task-based fMRI (emotional, interpersonal exposure/social exclusion, pain, reward, and cognitive processing paradigms). Three studies reported on structural MRI. An association of NSSI behavior and altered emotional processing in cortico-limbic neurocircuitry was commonly reported. Additionally, alterations in potential circuits involving pain, reward, interpersonal, self-processing, and executive function control processes were identified. NSSI has complex and diverse neural underpinnings. Future longitudinal studies are needed to understand its developmental aspects better.

Keywords: JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist; NSSI; Newcastle–Ottawa Scale; fMRI; neuroimaging; nonsuicidal self-injury; self-harm; self-mutilation; systematic review; youth.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

P.M.P. received payment or honoraria for lectures and presentations in educational events for Sandoz, Daiichi Sankyo, Eurofarma, and Abbot. Other authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA Flowchart. * Not using automated methods.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Nock M.K. Self-Injury. Annu. Rev. Clin. Psychol. 2010;6:339–363. doi: 10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.121208.131258. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Nock M.K., Joiner T.E., Jr., Gordon K.H., Lloyd-Richardson E., Prinstein M.J. Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among Adolescents: Diagnostic Correlates and Relation to Suicide Attempts. Psychiatry Res. 2006;8:65–72. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2006.05.010. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Turner B.J., Dixon-Gordon K.L., Austin S.B., Rodriguez M.A., Zachary Rosenthal M., Chapman A.L. Non-Suicidal Self-Injury with and without Borderline Personality Disorder: Differences in Self-Injury and Diagnostic Comorbidity. Psychiatry Res. 2015;230:28–35. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.07.058. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Summers J., Shahrami A., Cali S., D’Mello C., Kako M., Palikucin-Reljin A., Savage M., Shaw O., Lunsky Y. Self-Injury in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability: Exploring the Role of Reactivity to Pain and Sensory Input. Brain Sci. 2017;7:140. doi: 10.3390/brainsci7110140. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Westlund Schreiner M., Klimes-Dougan B., Begnel E.D., Cullen K.R. Conceptualizing the Neurobiology of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury from the Perspective of the Research Domain Criteria Project. Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev. 2015;57:381–391. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.09.011. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources