In this study they tested serotonin receptors in serial sections of the right prefrontal cortex (area 10) in suicide patients and control patients. All of these were tested post mortem and they took all of the samples from the bodies around the same time. They talked to the suicidal patients’ psychiatrists and determined that they were not abusing substances as this could effect the results. They tested serotonin 1a and 2a as they are known to improve cognitive function in the prefrontal cortex. This study was based on a former one that tested the efficiency of the serotonin receptors, but this study tested for the amount of serotonin. The former study also showed no difference in the efficiency of the receptors. The study showed no difference in the amount of serotonin receptors patients had, however, testing different sections of the prefrontal cortex could change this result. 

lPh.D. Craig A. Stockmeier a b, a, b, c, Serotonin1A (5-HT1A) and serotonin2A (5-HT2A) receptors in the brain have been implicated in the pathophysiology of suicide. Brain samples were collected at autopsy from suicide victims with a current episode of major depression and matched comparison sub, ArangoV, ArranzB, BiverF, BlierP, BurnetPWJ, CheethamSC, CrowTJ, DillonKA, GearyWA, Gross-IsseroffR, HallidayGM, HoyerD, HrdinaPD, KellarKJ, … AratóM. (2003, January 5). Serotonin receptors in suicide victims with major depression. Neuropsychopharmacology. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0893133X9600170

In this paper they used FMRI and PET scans to study the changes in the brian in depressed patients and Alzheimer's patients. It is known that as the brain ages serotonin neuron and neurotransmitter get weaker/fail in the brain. Through this imaging researchers were able to see that this happened too in the brains of depressed individuals. This also shows that as people age they are at a higher risk of becoming depressed because of the weakening receptors, which in individuals already at risk of developing Alzheimer's are twice as likely to be depressed. Although these were the results found, they are looking forward to doing more extensive research on this topic, and trying to keep the research going for as long as possible for the best results. 

Author links open overlay panelCarolyn Cidis Meltzer, a, AbstractSerotonin (5-HT) neuron and neurotransmitter loss in normal aging and neuropsychiatric diseases of late life may contribute to behavioral changes commonly observed in the elderly population. Extensive evidence implicates a deficit in serotonergic , Alexopoulos, G., Alexopoulos, G., Altman, H., Andersson, A., Arango, V., Arora, R., Arranz, B., Ashworth, S., Beats, B., Biver, F., Bonte, F., Carli, M., Chan-Palay, V., Cheetham, S., Cheng, A., Condon, B., … Blier, P. (2003, January 5). Serotonin in aging, late-life depression, and alzheimer’s disease: The emerging role of functional imaging. Neuropsychopharmacology. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0893133X97001942

This study was about the neuroanatomy of pain in depression. They tested 39 depressed patients using single photon emission computed tomography. The certain level of mental pain was found to be associated with thoughts of suicide in the patients. They found that people with high levels of mental pain had more blood flow in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, occipital cortex, and inferior frontal gyrus. They also found decreased blood flow in the medulla.This was also associated with high levels of blood flow in areas that deal with emotion. Further research will be done about this to see if this affects cognitive aspects of the brain. 

Author links open overlay panelKees van Heeringen, AbstractThis study aimed at determining the functional neuroanatomy of mental pain, Bär, K. J., Eisenberger, N. I., Fitzgerald, P. B., Mee, S., Wagner, G., Walter, H., & Association, A. P. (2010, January 13). The functional neuroanatomy of mental pain in depression. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0925492709001760

This study made serotonin specific lesions in the brain of rat mothers, some they made prepartum, and some postpartum. This was used to decrease maternal aggressiveness towards babies, which serotonin is responsible for. They used these regions to permanently disrupt serotonin signaling at the dorsal raphe (a primary source for serotonin). After both of the lesions maternal aggressiveness was reduced. However, postpartum lesions also have an effect on later mother care behaviors, such as, decline in nursing, and pup licking. Prepartum lesions did not have any effect on later mother care behaviors. These lesions also had no effect on the litter, birth weights, gene mutations, etc.

Author links open overlay panelM. Allie Holschbach a 1, a, 1, b, AbstractThe behavioral modifications associated with early motherhood, Almeida, R. M. D., Li, M., Chen, W., Zhao, C., Picazo, O., Waselus, M., Klink, R., Holschbach, M. A., Lonstein, J. S., Bethea, C. L., Osterlund, M., Donner, N., Laaris, N., Oliveira, L. M., … Muzerelle, A. (2018, April 10). Serotonin-specific lesions of the dorsal raphe disrupt maternal aggression and caregiving in postpartum rats. Behavioural Brain Research. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0166432818302882?via%3Dihub

In this study they examined how SSRIs affect animal behavior. The SSRIs they tested were citalopram, paroxetine, sertraline, fluvoxamine and fluoxetine. The activities they tested for were antidepressant, anxiolytic, and anti aggressive. Sertraline, fluvoxamine and fluoxetine had an effect on isolation induced aggressive behavior, whereas citalopram, paroxetine had no effect. 

Sánchez, C., & Meier, E. (n.d.). Behavioral profiles of ssris in animal models of depression, anxiety and aggression - psychopharmacology. SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s002130050181