TY - JOUR
T1 - Peripheral oxytocin is associated with reduced symptom severity in schizophrenia
AU - Rubin, Leah H.
AU - Carter, C. Sue
AU - Drogos, Lauren
AU - Pournajafi-Nazarloo, Hossein
AU - Sweeney, John A.
AU - Maki, Pauline M.
PY - 2010/12
Y1 - 2010/12
N2 - Background: Emerging evidence from clinical trials suggests that oral estrogen and intranasal oxytocin might reduce symptom severity in schizophrenia. Whether increases in endogenous hormones are similarly associated with improved symptoms is unknown. We investigated the effects of menstrual cycle phase and related fluctuations in peripheral hormone levels on clinical symptoms in women with chronic schizophrenia. Method: Twenty-three women with schizophrenia were administered the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), a measure of clinical symptom severity, at two menstrual cycle phases: 1) early follicular (Days 2-4; low estrogen/progesterone) and 2) midluteal (Days 20-22; high estrogen/progesterone). Twenty-seven males with schizophrenia and 58 controls (31 female) completed testing at comparable intervals. Men were included to examine whether the relationships between clinical symptoms and hormone levels in women generalize to men. Plasma hormone assays of estrogen, oxytocin, progesterone, and testosterone were obtained. Results: Female patients showed less severe symptoms during the midluteal versus early follicular phase (p's < 0.01). Oxytocin did not fluctuate across phases, but in female patients (p's < 0.01) higher oxytocin levels were associated with less severe positive symptoms and overall psychopathology. In both sexes, higher oxytocin levels were associated with more prosocial behaviors (p< 0.05). Conclusion: Consistent with previous findings in acutely ill patients, our results suggest that clinical symptoms vary across the menstrual cycle in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Similar to recent findings regarding benefits of intranasal oxytocin, these new findings indicate that high levels of endogenous oxytocin might improve positive symptom severity and general psychopathology in women and social behaviors in both sexes.
AB - Background: Emerging evidence from clinical trials suggests that oral estrogen and intranasal oxytocin might reduce symptom severity in schizophrenia. Whether increases in endogenous hormones are similarly associated with improved symptoms is unknown. We investigated the effects of menstrual cycle phase and related fluctuations in peripheral hormone levels on clinical symptoms in women with chronic schizophrenia. Method: Twenty-three women with schizophrenia were administered the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), a measure of clinical symptom severity, at two menstrual cycle phases: 1) early follicular (Days 2-4; low estrogen/progesterone) and 2) midluteal (Days 20-22; high estrogen/progesterone). Twenty-seven males with schizophrenia and 58 controls (31 female) completed testing at comparable intervals. Men were included to examine whether the relationships between clinical symptoms and hormone levels in women generalize to men. Plasma hormone assays of estrogen, oxytocin, progesterone, and testosterone were obtained. Results: Female patients showed less severe symptoms during the midluteal versus early follicular phase (p's < 0.01). Oxytocin did not fluctuate across phases, but in female patients (p's < 0.01) higher oxytocin levels were associated with less severe positive symptoms and overall psychopathology. In both sexes, higher oxytocin levels were associated with more prosocial behaviors (p< 0.05). Conclusion: Consistent with previous findings in acutely ill patients, our results suggest that clinical symptoms vary across the menstrual cycle in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Similar to recent findings regarding benefits of intranasal oxytocin, these new findings indicate that high levels of endogenous oxytocin might improve positive symptom severity and general psychopathology in women and social behaviors in both sexes.
KW - Estrogen
KW - Menstrual cycle
KW - Oxytocin
KW - Progesterone
KW - Schizophrenia
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=78249235606&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=78249235606&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.schres.2010.09.014
DO - 10.1016/j.schres.2010.09.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 20947304
AN - SCOPUS:78249235606
VL - 124
SP - 13
EP - 21
JO - Schizophrenia Research
JF - Schizophrenia Research
SN - 0920-9964
IS - 1-3
ER -