![]() |
Oades, R.D. & Schepker, R. (1994) Serum steroid hormones in young schizophrenic patients. Psychoneuroendocrinol., 19, 373-386. pdf Methods: Two blood samples from 22 young psychotic patients were analysed by radioimmunoassay for E2, progesterone (PROG), testosterone (TE) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS). Results: Female
psychotic patients showed E2 levels lower than matched
healthy cycling controls but higher than those on a contraceptive
pill: they also showed higher TE levels than controls. Conclusions: We suggest that illness-related changes of steroids can be measured superimposed on medication - induced changes and that lower E2 levels in psychotic women may increase their vulnerability to psychosis. Changes of TE in female and DHEAS in male psychotics may be more a consequence of the illness. However we postulate that increased DHEAS levels could interfere with normal neurodevelopmental neuronal pruning processes (cf. increased DHEAS levels in male adolescents with conduct disorder, Dmitrieva et al., 1999, 2001) See also review on the influence of pituitary-adrenal and gonadal hormones on attention, Oades, 1979. |