Abstract

PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL ENDOCRINE IMBALANCE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS WITH POSITIVE, NEGATIVE AND COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS

Yalaga Rama Rao, Uma Devi Pongiya*, Mohammed Rafiq Khan, and P.Chinnasamy

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study aims to determine the status of plasma estrogen, prolactin and thyroid stimulating hormone in schizophrenic patients with positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. Design and settings: A total of 60 schizophrenic patients of age group 18-65 years of both sexes from good socio-economic background were selected and the patients were divided into three groups namely schizophrenics with positive symptoms, negative symptoms and cognitive symptoms with 20 patients in each groups. They all met DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV) criteria for schizophrenia. Sixty age and sex-matched healthy normal control subjects with no individual and familial history of mental illness were recruited to participate in this study. Fresh blood samples were collected and plasma was separated to measure the status of hormones by ECLIA method in the plasma of 60 schizophrenia subjects and 60 healthy controls. Results: It was observed from the study that plasma levels of hormones indicated abnormalities significantly in all schizophrenic patients. These data reveal that hormonal imbalance in schizophrenic patients. Conclusion: These findings also provide a theoretical basis for the development of novel therapeutic strategies, such as hormone supplementation. This may suggest the hope for use of hormonal therapy in clinical trials to prevent and treat schizophrenic patients.

Keywords: Schizophrenia, Symptoms, Estrogen, Prolactin, TSH, Abnormalities