RT Journal
A1 Kulkarni J, de Castella A, Fitzgerald PB, et al
T1 Estrogen in severe mental illness: A potential new treatment approach
JF Archives of General Psychiatry
JO Archives of General Psychiatry
YR 2008
FD August 4
VO 65
IS 8
SP 955
OP 960
DO 10.1001/archpsyc.65.8.955
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.65.8.955
AB Context 
    Accumulating evidence suggests that estrogens may have therapeutic effects in severe mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, via neuromodulatory and neuroprotective activity.Objective 
    To compare the efficacy of adjunctive transdermal estradiol with that of adjunctive placebo in the treatment of acute psychotic symptoms.Design 
    Randomized, double-blind study.Setting 
    Patients were recruited from inpatient acute hospital wards and outpatient clinics of 2 metropolitan Melbourne general hospitals.Participants 
    One hundred two women of childbearing age with schizophrenia. All participants were in an acute or chronic phase of their illness; 73 participants were outpatients and the rest were inpatients.Intervention 
    Patients were randomized to receive 100 μg of transdermal estradiol (n = 56) or transdermal placebo (n = 46) for 28 days.Main Outcome Measures 
    Psychopathological symptoms were assessed weekly with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.Results 
    The addition of 100 μg of transdermal estradiol significantly reduced positive (P < .05) and general psychopathological (P < .05) symptoms during the 28-day trial period compared with women receiving antipsychotic medication alone.Conclusion 
    Estradiol appears to be a useful treatment for women with schizophrenia and may provide a new adjunctive therapeutic option for severe mental illness.Trial Registration 
    clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00206570