 |
|
Estrogen relieves psychotic symptoms in women with schizophrenia
August 05, 2008When combined with antipsychotic medications, the estrogen estradiol appears to be a useful treatment in women with schizophrenia, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
The link between estrogen and mental illness was recognized more than a century ago, according to background information in the article. However, scientific evidence regarding estrogen as a therapy for mental illness has only recently emerged. "Epidemiologic observations of sex differences in the onset and course of schizophrenia prompted exploration of estrogen's role in schizophrenia," the authors write.
Jayashri Kulkarni, M.B.B.S., M.P.M., F.R.A.N.Z.C.P., Ph.D., of The Alfred and Monash University and The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues conducted a randomized, double-blind study involving 102 women of child-bearing age with schizophrenia. For 28 days, 56 women were randomly assigned to receive 100 micrograms of estradiol daily via a skin patch and 46 women received a placebo skin patch in addition to their regular medications. Psychotic symptoms, which include delusions and hallucinatory behavior, were assessed weekly with a commonly used scale.
The group of women taking estradiol exhibited a greater improvement in psychotic symptoms over time than did the women taking antipsychotic medications alone. They also experienced a decline in positive symptoms-those which represent a distortion of normal functions. No difference was observed between the two groups regarding negative symptoms, those which occur when normal functions are lost or diminished.
"Estrogen's neuroprotective and psychoprotective actions may be mediated by a variety of routes, ranging from rapid actions, including antioxidant effects and enhancement of cerebral blood flow and cerebral glucose utilization, to slower, genomic mechanisms, which may include permanent modification of neural circuits," the authors write. "The lack of effect for negative symptoms is consistent with literature reporting that negative symptoms are less responsive to treatment than other symptoms of schizophrenia. It is possible that longer-term treatment is required for negative symptoms to respond to treatment. Alternatively, brain regions implicated in negative symptoms may be less responsive to gonadal hormone effects."
Estrogen may have a preventive role in women with schizophrenia who undergo hormonal changes shown to cause a deterioration of their condition, such as those following childbirth and menopause, the authors note. "Estrogen treatment is a promising new area for future treatment of schizophrenia and potentially for other severe mental illnesses," they conclude.
JAMA and Archives Journals
The group of women taking estradiol exhibited a greater improvement in psychotic symptoms over time than did the women taking antipsychotic medications alone. They also experienced a decline in positive symptoms-those which represent a distortion of normal functions. No difference was observed between the two groups regarding negative symptoms, those which occur when normal functions are lost or diminished.
"Estrogen's neuroprotective and psychoprotective actions may be mediated by a variety of routes, ranging from rapid actions, including antioxidant effects and enhancement of cerebral blood flow and cerebral glucose utilization, to slower, genomic mechanisms, which may include permanent modification of neural circuits," the authors write. "The lack of effect for negative symptoms is consistent with literature reporting that negative symptoms are less responsive to treatment than other symptoms of schizophrenia. It is possible that longer-term treatment is required for negative symptoms to respond to treatment. Alternatively, brain regions implicated in negative symptoms may be less responsive to gonadal hormone effects."
Estrogen may have a preventive role in women with schizophrenia who undergo hormonal changes shown to cause a deterioration of their condition, such as those following childbirth and menopause, the authors note. "Estrogen treatment is a promising new area for future treatment of schizophrenia and potentially for other severe mental illnesses," they conclude.
JAMA and Archives Journals
Schizophrenia Current Events and Schizophrenia News RSSPrognosis after attempted suicide impaired by psychiatric disorder
People who have attempted suicide at some point in their lives are more likely to actually succeed in committing suicide at a later date.
Routine Testing After Aneurysm Coiling Carries Low Risk
A very low risk of complication is associated with a routine test that determines whether a brain aneurysm treated with endovascular coiling has started to recur, a study led by the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute has shown.
Protein can nurture or devastate brain cells, depending on its 'friends,' researchers find
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have uncovered new insights into the "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" nature of a protein that stimulates stem-cell maturation in the brain but, paradoxically, can also lead to nerve-cell damage.
Pivotal Emory study focuses on teens at risk for psychosis
Emory University in Atlanta is playing a key role in the largest, most comprehensive study ever funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of adolescents and young adults at risk for developing a psychotic disorder.
Interaction between gene variants may alter brain function in schizophrenia
A collaborative study led by investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is giving what may be the first look at how interactions between genes underlie a key symptom of schizophrenia, impaired working memory.
Mental health linked to stillbirth and newborn deaths
Women with a history of serious mental illness are much more likely to have babies that are stillborn or die within the first month of life, new research reveals.
Pitt research identifies new target in brain for treating schizophrenia
Research from the University of Pittsburgh could expand the options for controlling schizophrenia by identifying a brain region that responds to more than one type of antipsychotic drug.
Research shows raised incidence of psychoses among migrant groups
Researchers examining the occurrence of psychoses among migrant groups have shown a raised incidence for all black and ethnic minority subgroups compared with white British counterparts, and reveal that the risk of psychoses for first and second generations varies by ethnicity.
First evidence that prenatal exposure to famine may lead to persistent epigenetic changes
A study initiated by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands suggests that prenatal exposure to famine can lead to epigenetic changes that may affect a person's health into midlife.
Membrane fusion at the synapse: Janus faced synaptotagmin-1 helps to keep the fast pace
Imagine a bathtub with two soap bubbles colliding but never fusing. Then you add detergent, and the surface of the water goes flat as the walls of the bubbles collapse and merge.
More Schizophrenia Current Events and Schizophrenia News Articles
 | Surviving Schizophrenia: A Manual for Families, Consumers, and Providers (4th Edition) by E. Fuller Torrey Since its first publication in 1983, Surviving Schizophrenia has become the standard reference book on the disease and has helped thousands of patients, their families and mental health professionals. In clear language, this much–praised and important book describes the nature, causes, symptoms, treatment and course of schizophrenia and also explores living with it from both the patient and the... |
 | The Complete Family Guide to Schizophrenia: Helping Your Loved One Get the Most Out of Life by Kim T. Mueser, Susan Gingerich Do people with schizophrenia ever get better? With the vast majority of those with the disorder dependent on their families for care, close relatives often grapple with that question. The Complete Family Guide to Schizophrenia inspires hope. Authors Kim T. Mueser, PhD, and Susan Gingerich, MSW, walk readers through a range of treatment and support options that can lead to a better life for the... |
 | Schizophrenia: Cognitive Theory, Research, and Therapy by Aaron T. Beck, Neil A. Rector, Neal Stolar, Paul Grant From Aaron T. Beck and colleagues, this is the definitive work on the cognitive model of schizophrenia and its treatment. The volume integrates cognitive-behavioral and biological knowledge into a state-of-the-science conceptual framework. It comprehensively examines the origins, development, and maintenance of key symptom areas: delusions, hallucinations, negative symptoms, and formal thought... |
 | Getting Your Life Back Together When You Have Schizophrenia by Roberta Temes |
 | Schizophrenia For Dummies (For Dummies (Health & Fitness)) by Jerome Levine, Irene S. Levine Practical tools for leading a happy, productive life Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling mental disorder that afflicts one percent of the population, an estimated 2.5 million people in America alone. The firsthand advice in this reassuring guide will empower the families and caregivers of schizophrenia patients to take charge, offering expert advice on identifying the warning... |
 | Social Skills Training for Schizophrenia, Second Edition: A Step-by-Step Guide (TREATMENT MANUALS FOR PRACTITIONERS) by Alan S. Bellack, Kim T. Mueser, Susan Gingerich, Julie Agresta This popular manual presents an empirically tested format and ready-made curricula for skills training groups in a range of settings. Part I takes therapists and counselors step by step through assessing clients' existing skills, teaching new skills, and managing common treatment challenges. Part II comprises over 60 ready-to-photocopy skill sheets. Each sheet--essentially a complete lesson... |
 | Stalking Irish Madness: Searching for the Roots of My Family's Schizophrenia by Patrick Tracey In this powerful, sometimes harrowing, deeply felt story, Patrick Tracey journeys to Ireland to track the origin and solve the mystery of his Irish-American family's multigenerational struggle with schizophrenia.For most Irish Americans, a trip to Ireland is often an occasion to revisit their family's roots. But for Patrick Tracey, the lure of his ancestral home is a much more powerful need: part... |
 | Diagnosis: Schizophrenia by Rachel Miller, Susan Mason The disease is not fatal but few diagnoses have the capacity to instill as much fear in the hearts of patients and families. Here is a profoundly reassuring book that shows there can be life after a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The book includes thirty-five first-person accounts, along with chapters by professionals on a wide range of issues from hospitalization to rehabilitation. Jargon-free and... |
 | Anti-Oedipus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia by Gilles Deleuze, Felix Guattari |
 | Cognitive Therapy of Schizophrenia (Guides to Individualized Evidence-Based Treatment) by David G. Kingdon, Douglas Turkington Drawing on the authors' decades of influential work in the field, this highly practical volume presents an evidence-based cognitive therapy approach for clients with schizophrenia. Guidelines are provided for collaborative assessment and case formulation that enable the clinician to build a strong therapeutic relationship, establish reasonable goals, and tailor treatment to each client's needs.... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |