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Hormones and schizophrenia.
Jayashri Kulkarni1, Emily Hayes, Emmy Gavrilidis
1The Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, The Alfred and Monash University School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. j.kulkarni@alfred.org.au
Current Opinion in Psychiatry
|January 18, 2012
Summary
The oestrogen protection hypothesis suggests oestrogen may protect against schizophrenia. Recent studies show promising results for oestrogen as a potential antipsychotic treatment for this mental illness.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia may involve hormonal factors.
- The oestrogen protection hypothesis specifically examines oestrogen's role in schizophrenia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent literature supporting the oestrogen protection hypothesis of schizophrenia.
- To discuss the potential of oestrogen as a therapeutic strategy for schizophrenia.
Main Methods:
- Review of epidemiological and life-cycle data.
- Analysis of in-vitro and in-vivo preclinical research.
- Examination of randomized controlled trials on oestrogen's antipsychotic potential.
Main Results:
- Epidemiological data indicate sex differences in schizophrenia incidence and course, suggesting oestrogen's protective effect.
- Preclinical research confirms oestradiol's interaction with neurotransmitter systems relevant to schizophrenia.
- Clinical trials investigating oestrogen for antipsychotic effects have yielded promising results.
Conclusions:
- Current schizophrenia treatments are often partially effective and have side effects, necessitating new strategies.
- Oestrogen is proposed as a viable therapeutic option for schizophrenia and related psychoses.
- Further research and larger trials are needed to translate the oestrogen hypothesis into clinical practice.
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