The Neurobiology of Pain, Emotion, and Stress Regulation in Suicide: Role of Cannabinoid, Opioid, Vanilloid, and Galaninergic Systems – A Systematic Review of Postmortem Evidence.

This systematic review investigates the association between the endocannabinoid, vanilloid, opioid, and galaninergic systems and suicide, focusing on post-mortem evidence. Findings indicate increased cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) densities in the prefrontal cortex, particularly in individuals with al...

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Published in:International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 529 - 565
Main Authors: Escelsior, Andrea, Guglielmo, Riccardo, Zizzi, Alessio, Fioravanti, Margherita, Sanvi, James, Arduino, Gabriele, Servetti, Martina, Colaci, Francesco, da Silva, Beatriz Pereira, Nozza, Paolo, Pompili, Maurizio, Amore, Mario, Serafini, Gianluca
Format: Case Study
Published: Springer Nature Feb2026
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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        atl: The Neurobiology of Pain, Emotion, and Stress Regulation in Suicide: Role of Cannabinoid, Opioid, Vanilloid, and Galaninergic Systems – A Systematic Review of Postmortem Evidence.
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          Escelsior, Andrea
          Guglielmo, Riccardo
          Zizzi, Alessio
          Fioravanti, Margherita
          Sanvi, James
          Arduino, Gabriele
          Servetti, Martina
          Colaci, Francesco
          da Silva, Beatriz Pereira
          Nozza, Paolo
          Pompili, Maurizio
          Amore, Mario
          Serafini, Gianluca
        affil:
          https://ror.org/0107c5v14 Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
          https://ror.org/04d7es448 IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy
          https://ror.org/042t93s57 Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genova, Italy
          https://ror.org/0107c5v14 Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 3, 16132, Genova, Italy
          https://ror.org/02mgzgr95 Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, 40139, Bologna, Italy
          https://ror.org/04d7es448 Pathology Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
          https://ror.org/02be6w209 Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189, Rome, Italy
      su:
        Suicide
        Suffering
        Emotions
        Cannabinoids
        Stress management
        Neurobiology
        Opioids
        TRPV cation channels
      sug:
        subj:
          Suicide
          Suffering
          Emotions
          Cannabinoids
          Stress management
          Neurobiology
          Opioids
          TRPV cation channels
      keyword:
        Endocannabinoid system
        Galaninergic system
        Medical and Health Sciences Clinical Sciences
        Opioid system
        Post-mortem evidence
        Vanilloid system
        Endocannabinoid system
        Galaninergic system
        Medical and Health Sciences Clinical Sciences
        Opioid system
        Post-mortem evidence
        Vanilloid system
      ab: This systematic review investigates the association between the endocannabinoid, vanilloid, opioid, and galaninergic systems and suicide, focusing on post-mortem evidence. Findings indicate increased cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) densities in the prefrontal cortex, particularly in individuals with alcohol use disorder and mood disorders who died by suicide. Conversely, a decrease in CB1 receptors was observed in individuals with schizophrenia treated with antipsychotics, suggesting that this reduction may be more closely related to underlying psychopathology than directly to suicidal behavior. Limited evidence on the vanilloid system suggests stress-related alterations could influence suicide, warranting further exploration. Similarly, the opioid and galaninergic systems show alterations in individuals who died by suicide, with increased mu-opioid receptor (MOR) expression possibly representing an adaptive response to altered endogenous peptide levels. The review underscores the need for more extensive research to clarify the roles of these biological pathways in suicide, advocating for studies comparing individuals who died by suicide with and without psychiatric disorders to non-psychiatric controls to advance our understanding of these complex interactions and their implications.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Case Study
      src: R
    language: English
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