Priv.-Doz. Dr. Gerd Wagner

About

More than 800,000 individuals die from suicide each year in the world, nearly 10,000 in Germany. It is the second most frequent cause of death among adolescents and young adults. Suicide has a devastating impact on families and society. Furthermore, 20 to 30 times more individuals attempt suicide. Therefore, there is a strong need for research to better understand this complex and multifaceted phenomenon to prevent future suicides.

Our research focuses on neurobiological underpinning of suicidal behavior to identify diagnostic and therapeutic options. We are using functional and structural brain imaging as well as conducting neuropsychological experiments in suicide attempters to identify marker associated with suicidal behavior.

Moreover, our group is implementing a series of suicide prevention strategies. It includes destigmatization of suicide, e.g.  by means of press campaigns, public events as well as by qualifying potential gatekeepers. We are also developing and implementing specific psychotherapeutic treatment programs for patients after a suicide attempt to prevent future attempts.

Our further focus is to develop digital prevention strategies, i.e. by an App implementing a cutting-edge technology using artificial intelligence, peripheral devices (smartwatches) and smartphones, which interacts with the users and experts, informs about an impending suicidal crisis and thus supports in its successful as well as timely management.

Team

• M.Sc. Lydia Bahlmann
• M.Sc.Marlehn Lübbert
• M.Sc. Ani Zerekidze
• Sophie Hertl (Ärztin)
• Laura Huff (Ärztin)
• B.Sc. Stefan Schmidt
• Cand. med. Johanna Walther (IZKF-Studentin)
• Cand. med. Line Seiffert
• Cand. med. Anne Bollmann
• Cand. med. Nora Heck
• Cand. med. Annekatrin Groh
• Cand. med. Jule Arand
• Cand. med. Paul Kastner

Collaborators

• Dr. Thomas Sobanski, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatic Medicine, Thüringen-Kliniken GmbH, Saalfeld, Germany
• Dr. Ulrich Kastner, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Helios Fachkliniken, Hildburghausen, Germany
• Prof. Dr. Fabrice Jollant, Medical School / Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Saclay

Projects

• The current project "Network for the prevention of suicides in Thuringia" (NeST), funded by the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) serves the purpose of a closer networking of those institutions in East Thuringia which are involved in the care and treatment of suicidal persons, their relatives and bereaved people. The goals of the NeST are the implementation of a series of suicide prevention strategies, the development of specific psychotherapeutic interventions and the creation of low-threshold community mental health services for suicidal offenders and their relatives. More information about the project can be found at www.nest-thueringen.de.
• In the current project "The choice of a violent suicidal means: a MRI study with computational modeling of decision-making", funded by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), we are using cognitive neuroscience methods to investigate the cognitive and brain basis of violent suicidal behavior (VSA). Deficits in decision-making have been found to be more marked in suicide attempters who used a violent suicidal means, broadly defined as any suicidal act other than drug overdose and superficial cutting. Use of a violent suicidal means is associated with an increased risk of current or future death. In light of the heterogeneity of suicidal behavior, investigating specific subgroups of individuals with similar characteristics, such as VSA, may be a profitable strategy to elucidate more consistent alteration patterns in suicide behavior.

Publications

Wagner, G., Koch, K., Schachtzabel, C., Schultz, C.C., Sauer, H., Schlosser, R.G., 2011. Structural brain alterations in patients with major depressive disorder and high risk for suicide: evidence for a distinct neurobiological entity? NeuroImage 54, 1607-1614.

Wagner, G., Schultz, C.C., Koch, K., Schachtzabel, C., Sauer, H., Schlosser, R.G., 2012. Prefrontal cortical thickness in depressed patients with high-risk for suicidal behavior. Journal of psychiatric research 46, 1449-1455.

Sobanski, T., Bar, K.J., Wagner, G., 2015. Neural, cognitive, and neuroimaging markers of the suicidal brain. Reports in Medical Imaging 8, 71—81.

Besteher, B., Wagner, G., Koch, K., Schachtzabel, C., Reichenbach, J.R., Schlosser, R., Sauer, H., Schultz, C.C., 2016. Pronounced prefronto-temporal cortical thinning in schizophrenia: Neuroanatomical correlate of suicidal behavior? Schizophrenia research 176, 151-157.

Jollant, F., Wagner, G., Richard-Devantoy, S., Kohler, S., Bar, K.J., Turecki, G., Pereira, F. Neuroimaging-informed phenotypes of suicidal behavior: a family history of suicide and the use of a violent suicidal means. Transl Psychiatry. 2018 Jun 19;8(1):120. doi: 10.1038/s41398-018-0170-2.

Wagner, G., de la Cruz, F., Kohler, S., Pereira, F., Richard-Devantoy, S., Turecki, G., Bar, K.J., Jollant, F. Connectomics-Based Functional Network Alterations in both Depressed Patients with Suicidal Behavior and Healthy Relatives of Suicide Victims. Sci Rep. 2019 Oct 4;9(1):14330. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-50881-y.

Wagner G, Li M, Sacchet M, Richard-Devantoy S, Turecki G, Bär K, Gotlib I, Walter M, Jollant F. Functional network alterations differently associated with suicidal ideas and acts in depressed patients: an indirect support to the transition model. Translational Psychiatry. 2021 Feb 4;11(1):100. doi: 10.1038/s41398-021-01232-x.

Sobanski T, Josfeld S, Peikert G, Wagner G. Psychotherapeutic interventions for the prevention of suicide re-attempts: a systematic review. Psychol Med. 2021 Nov;51(15):2525-2540. doi: 10.1017/S0033291721003081. Epub 2021 Oct 5.

Lübbert M, Bahlmann L, Josfeld S, Bürger J, Schulz A, Bär KJ, Polzer U, Walter M, Kastner UW, Sobanski T, Wagner G. Identifying Distinguishable Clinical Profiles Between Single Suicide Attempters and Re-Attempters. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2021 Sep 27;12:754402. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.754402. eCollection 2021.

Bahlmann L, Lübbert MBJS, Sobanski T, Kastner UW, Walter M, Smesny S, Wagner G. Relapse Prevention Intervention after Suicidal Event (RISE): Feasibility study of a psychotherapeutic short-term program for inpatients after a recent suicide attempt. Front Psychiatry. 2022 Jul 22;13:937527. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.937527. eCollection 2022.

Kastner UW, Javaheripour N, Arand J, Schönherr D, Sobanski T, Fehler SW, Walter M, Wagner G. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide attempts in a rural region in Germany, a 5-year observational study. J Affect Disord. 2022 Dec 1;318:393-399. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.09.022. Epub 2022 Sep 14.

Sobanski T, Peikert G, Kastner UW, Wagner G. Suicidal behavior-advances in clinical and neurobiological research and improvement of prevention strategies. World J Psychiatry. 2022 Sep 19;12(9):1115-1126. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v12.i9.1115. eCollection 2022 Sep 19.

Lübbert M, Bahlmann L, Sobanski T, Schulz A, Kastner UW, Walter M, Jollant F, Wagner G. Investigating the Clinical Profile of Suicide Attempters Who Used a Violent Suicidal Means. J Clin Med. 2022 Dec 2;11(23):7170. doi: 10.3390/jcm11237170.

Jollant F, Colle R, Nguyen TML, Corruble E, Gardier AM, Walter M, Abbar M, Wagner G. Ketamine and esketamine in suicidal thoughts and behaviors: a systematic review. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2023 Feb 7;13:20451253231151327. doi: 10.1177/20451253231151327.