Schizophrenia and Estrogen

A new drug that influences the amount of estrogen in the brain is showing signs of improving the conditions in female schizophrenia patients. Specifically, it alters the neurotransmitter and neuronal systems in the brain. The drug is called Raloxifene, which has been previously used to treat osteoporosis, and has had successful tests on improving the conditions and quickening the recovery of women that develop postmenopausal schizophrenia. This new drug has not been proven to yield the nasty side effects, on the breast, uterus, and ovarian tissue, that the normal pills called estradiol do.


Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, the research project leader and Director of the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc), gave the women in the trial 120mg of the estrogen receptor modulator a day. This dosage proved to yield better results than those given a lower dosage or a placebo. He stated, "many patients in this study had longstanding, persistent schizophrenia, so we are delighted that they experienced improvements in their mental well-being. We will continue to investigate the efficacy of Raloxifene which is a currently available treatment for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.:


These tests have been performed with a small sample size so in order to further validate these findings more tests will have to be done. Kulkarni is quite optimistic that this drug could revolutionize the treatment of women with schizophrenia. He also hopes to carry over his tests to younger women and even men.


This article caught my interest because anything that has to deal with diseases of the mind spark my interest. I find schizophrenia to be quite fascinating and hope to learn more about it.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100330092811.htm

-Charles Brown