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Folate levels in psychiatric outpatients
A Herrán1, M T García-Unzueta, J A Amado
1Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain. herran@humv.es
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
|September 25, 1999
Summary
This study found lower serum folate levels in psychiatric patients with schizophrenia and depression compared to controls. Folate levels correlated with symptom severity in schizophrenia patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Nutritional Psychiatry
Background:
- Folate deficiency is implicated in various neurological and psychiatric disorders.
- Understanding folate status in psychiatric populations is crucial for potential therapeutic interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate serum and red blood cell folate levels in psychiatric outpatients with schizophrenia and depressive disorder.
- To explore the relationship between folate levels and clinical symptom severity in these patient groups.
Main Methods:
- Assessed 53 outpatients with schizophrenia and 24 with depressive disorder using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry interview.
- Measured serum and red blood cell folate levels.
- Compared patient folate levels to age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Patients with schizophrenia exhibited lower serum folate levels than controls; red cell folate levels did not differ.
- Serum folate levels negatively correlated with Clinical Global Impression and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale scores in schizophrenia patients.
- Patients with depressive disorder had lower serum folate levels than controls, with no difference in red cell folate.
Conclusions:
- Lower serum folate may be associated with schizophrenia and depressive disorder.
- Serum folate levels correlate with symptom severity in schizophrenia.
- Red blood cell folate levels may not be a sensitive indicator in these psychiatric conditions.