Menstrual cycle phase and the probability of the recurrence of the illness in female patients with the first episode of schizophrenia
Abstract
This study focuses on the relationship between the menstrual cycle phase, time of psychiatric hospital admission and therapeutic response to neuroleptics in 130 first episode female schizophrenics. We found that significantly more women were admitted to the psychiatric hospital during the low-estrogen phase than during the high-estrogen phase.
Women admitted in the high-estrogen phase had a tendency to shorter hospitalisations in comparison with women admitted in the low estrogen phase, however, the difference did not reach statistical significance. Our results can be explained by supposed protecting role of estrogen influencing the episode duration parallel with its reinforcing effects on the antidopaminergic action of neuroleptics.
The estrogen state seems to be at least ta some first episode schizophrenic women an important factor of their episode onset. We did not find a clear support for its predicting role in therapeutic response to neuroleptics although from the clinical point of view it may be useful to investigate the history of menstrual cycle.
The role of estrogen in neural function is discussed.