Original scientific paper
INFLUENCE OF HORMONAL STATUS AND MENSTRUAL CYCLE PHASE ON PSYCHOPATOLOGY IN ACUTE ADMITTED PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA
Miroslav Herceg
; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, Zagreb, Croatia
Krešimir Puljić
; University Psychiatric Hospital Vrape, Zagreb, Croatia
Mirna Sisek-Šprem
; University Psychiatric Hospital Vrape, Zagreb, Croatia
Dora Herceg
; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Background: The gender differences in onset, symptom severity, and outcome of schizophrenia are now thought to support the
hypothesis that sex hormones may also have a role in etiology, as well as treatment, of schizophrenia. A number of reproductive
hormones may be implicated, including testosterone, progesterone, or luteinising hormone, and thus it is important to acknowledge
that there is a complex interplay of hormones occurring. This study was introduced to highlight the effect of the menstrual cycle, and
sex hormones on female patients with schizophrenia.
Subjects and methods: The sample consisted of 31 consecutively acute admitted women, aged 18 to 45 years with schizophrenia
diagnosed by DSM-5 criteria. The sample consisted of women who were regulary menstruating and to be undergoing regular hormonal
fluxes. Each subject was enrolled and received psychopathology and hormone (estradiole, progesterone, testosterone) assessments.
Psychopathology was measured with Positive end Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). The subjects were divided into folicular
(high estrogen) and luteal (low estrogen) phase admissions. Data were analyzed by regression analysis and t-test for independent
samples. Values are given as means ±SD.
Results: There were no differences between the folicular and luteal phase admission grups with regard to age, duration of illness
and age at onset of illness. We found that significantly more women were admitted during the luteal (low estrogen) phase of menstrual cycle (68%) as compared to follicular (high estrogen) phase (32%).
Conclusion: There was a significant increase in hospital admissions in the luteal phase of menstrual cycle in women suffering
from exacerbation of schizophrenia. The influence of particulary sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone) on admission rate and clinical psychopatology was found insignificant.
Keywords
schizophrenia; women; hormonal status; psychopathology
Hrčak ID:
262890
URI
Publication date:
22.7.2018.
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