Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
Published on: November 21, 2013
Movement disorder, memory, psychiatric symptoms and serum DHEA levels in schizophrenic and schizoaffective patients
D S Harris1, O M Wolkowitz, V I Reus
1Department of Psychiatry, Box CPR-0984, University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, 401 Parnassus Ave., San Francisco, CA 94143-0984, USA. dharris@itsa.ucsf.edu
Objective:
Reports of low levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) or its sulphate (DHEA-S) in some schizophrenic patients and in some persons with poorer motoric and cognitive functioning led us to examine clinical correlates of serum DHEA and DHEA-S levels in schizophrenic patients.
Method:
Ratings of abnormal movements, memory and psychiatric symptoms in 17 medicated chronic schizophrenic or schizoaffective inpatients at a state hospital were correlated with serum DHEA and DHEA-S levels, and their ratios with serum cortisol.
Results:
Controlling for age, higher DHEA levels and/or higher DHEA/cortisol ratios were significantly correlated with lower symptom ratings on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, better performance on some measures of memory, and lower ratings of parkinsonian symptoms.
Conclusion:
Relatively low DHEA levels or DHEA/cortisol ratios may identify a particularly impaired subgroup of medicated patients with chronic schizophrenia. Potential implications are discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia
Schizophrenia
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes loosely...

