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Physiological Marker found in Teen Girls who Cut

From Leonard Holmes, About.com Guide   June 21, 2006

Psychologists at the University of Washington have discovered that teenage girls who engage in self-harm behaviors such as cutting themselves have lower levels of serotonin in their blood. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is also implicated in depression, The adolescents also had reduced levels of "respiratory sinus arrhythmia" a measure of "the ebb and flow of heart rate along with breathing". The study suggests links these teenage cutting behaviors with the possible later development of borderline personality disorder; and suggests that both groups have difficulty modulating their emotions.

Read more from the University of Washington

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