iRADIOLOGY · Published 2025-05-13 · DOI 10.1002/ird3.70009
ABSTRACT Background Nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI) in adolescents with depression disorders often exhibits addictive patterns, potentially linked to serum beta‐endorphin levels and neural reward responsiveness. Beta‐endorphin, involved in reward processing, alongside dysregulated neural reward pathways, may reinforce self‐injurious behaviors, highlighting the need to explore these mechanisms. Methods Adolescents (aged 12–17 years) with depression disorders were divided into an NSSI group (21 subjects) and a control group (11 subjects) according to inclusion criteria. Serum beta‐endorphin concentration was measured using the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay method. The Addiction Factor Scale was used to assess addiction levels. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 25.0. The oxygenated hemoglobin response signal was detected using functional near‐infrared spectroscopy. Analyses were performed using NIRS_KIT 2.0. Results Compared with the control group, the NSSI group exhibited lower serum beta‐endorphin concentration. Additionally, 85.7% of those in the NSSI group displayed addictive behaviors, and serum beta‐endorphin concentration was negatively correlated with the Addiction Factor Scale score. The reward task activated channels 17, 20, and 21 (corresponding to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [PFC] and frontopolar PFC) in the gain condition and channels 20 and 21 in the loss condition. The oxygenated hemoglobin concentration of the differential waveform (Δ[oxy‐Hb]) of channel 12 (corresponding to the frontopolar PFC) correlated positively with the Addiction Factor Scale score and negatively with the serum beta‐endorphin concentration. Conclusions The addictive nature of NSSI in adolescents with depression disorders may be linked to lower serum beta‐endorphin levels and the activation of neural reward responses. Serum beta‐endorphin and Δ[oxy‐Hb] concentrations may serve as indicators of the addictive features of NSSI in adolescents with depression disorders.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
Read the article at the publisher →