The Role Estrogen In Schizophrenia: A Review Of Current Literature

Schizophrenia, a chronic and complex neuropsychiatric disorder, has a profound impact on the quality of life, social environment and health care system of patients and their families, affecting more than 21 million people worldwide. Research over the past two decades has established a distinct neuromodulatory role for estrogen in the pathogenesis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is associated with an earlier age of onset, more severe disease course, poorer response to antipsychotic treatment, and disease adaptability in males with schizophrenia compared with females with schizophrenia. This neuropsychiatric disorder exhibits robust gender differences in many aspects of the disease. This review highlights the research invested in understanding the potential protective effects of estradiol in relation to these sex differences in schizophrenia. Molecular studies that have clearly demonstrated complex interactions with transmitter systems, particularly those involved in schizophrenia, have led to improvements in cognition and memory, or deficits that reflect positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia.