title: Estrogen in severe mental illness: a potential new treatment approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  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.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, double-blind study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were recruited from inpatient acute hospital wards and outpatient clinics of 2 metropolitan Melbourne general hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  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 microg of transdermal estradiol (n = 56) or transdermal placebo (n = 46) for 28 days.
  
  
  METHODS
  Psychopathological symptoms were assessed weekly with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The addition of 100 microg 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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Estradiol appears to be a useful treatment for women with schizophrenia and may provide a new adjunctive therapeutic option for severe mental illness.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00206570.
authors.affiliation: Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, The Alfred and Monash University, School of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Psychological Medicine, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia. j.kukarni@alfred.org.au
authors.forename: Jayashri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kulkarni
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Castella
authors.forename: Paul B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: Caroline T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Gurvich
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: Cali
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bartholomeusz
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Burger
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
chemical_list: D004958:Estradiol