Clinicoradiological observation in three patients with suicidal hanging

Study design: A hospital-based clinical, radiological and neurophysiological study. Objectives: Hanging is a common mode of suicide in India, but there is paucity of MRI and neurophysiological findings in the context of clinical and neurological changes. We report the clinical, neurophysiological and MRI studies of three females who attempted suicide by hanging. Methods: All three patients who attempted hanging underwent detailed clinical, electroencephalographic, motor, somatosensory and brainstem-evoked potential and magnetic resonance imaging studies. Patients were clinically followed up for 6 months. Results: Their ages were 21, 26 and 35 years. They developed altered sensorium, decorticate posturing and had a wide variety of movement disorders. Patient no. 1 had the most severe illness and recovered by the seventh month while the others recovered earlier. MRI revealed hyperintense signal changes in the globus pallidus, caudate nucleus and thalamus in all patients and in the midbrain in one patient. Electroencephalography showed nonspecific slowing, Somatosensory, motor and brainstem-evoked potential studies were normal. Conclusion: Hanging leads to hypoxic brain damage resulting in signal changes mainly in the basal ganglia and thalamus and may be associated with transient movement disorders. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.