Estrogen Effects in Psychiatric Disorders / Edition 1

by Niels Bergemann, Anita Riecher-Rössler

Overview

A number of studies, mostly focusing on estrogen replacement therapy in women, have reported beneficial actions of these hormones on various neurobiological and neuropathological parameters in health and disease. Recent research has focused on gender differences and there is increasing evidence that estrogens exert protective effects in schizophrenia. Hormonal fluctuations or lack of estrogen may increase the risk of depression among vulnerable women. Treatment of depression with estrogen may stabilize and restore disrupted homeostasis – as during post-partum, premenstrual, or perimenopausal conditions – and act as a psychomodulator to offset vulnerability to dysphoric mood when estrogen levels are significantly decreased, as in the case of postmenopausal women. Studies on the effect of estrogens on Alzheimer’s Disease are still rather controversial, they do, however, facilitate the hypothesis that estrogens may have a modifying effect on the onset and course of AD, at least in subgroups of patients.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783211404850
Publisher:	Springer Vienna
Publication date:	01/24/2005
Edition description:	2005
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 9.61(h) x 0.02(d)

Table of Contents

Estrogens in Neuropsychiatric Disorders: From Physiology to Pathophysiology.- Estrogens and Schizophrenia.- Gender Differences in Schizophrenia.- Puberty and Schizophrenia Onset.- Clinical Estrogen Trials in Patients with Schizophrenia.- Hypoestrogenism and Estrogen Replacement Therapy in Women Suffering from Schizophrenia.- The Effect of Estrogens on Depression.- Estrogens and Other Hormones in the Treatment of Premenstrual Syndromes.- Estrogens and Perinatal Disorders.- Estrogen Therapy in Perimenopausal Affective Disorders.- The Effects of Estrogens on Cognition and Alzheimer's Dementia.- Effects of Hormone Therapy on Patterns of Brain Activation during Cognitive Activity: A Review of Neuroimaging Studies.- Estrogens in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Clinical and Neurobiological Perspective.- Estrogen Therapy: Interface Between Gynecology and Psychiatry.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Raj Tummala, MD (Wyeth Pharmaceuticals)
Description: This is a comprehensive overview of the role of estrogens in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Special focus is on the effects of estrogen in schizophrenia, affective, and cognitive disorders.
Purpose: The purpose is to present an overview of the latest thinking on the effects of nonreproductive functions of gonadal hormones on psychiatric illness.
Audience: This review is meant for students, researchers, clinicians, psychiatrists, and gynecologists as well as anyone interested in women's health. The book is very well written and is a worthwhile contribution to the field.
Features: It is thought that there is a correlation between endocrine abnormalities and psychiatric disorders. The differences in epidemiology of psychiatric disorders between men and women strongly point to role of gonadal hormones in their etiology. These endocrine abnormalities are no longer viewed just as occurrences but as a part of the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. The book is divided into three sections that cover the effects of estrogen on schizophrenia, affective disorders, and cognitive disorders. These three clinical sections are prefaced by a well-written chapter on the basic mechanisms of estrogen on various cellular processes including the modulation of neurotransmitters. Information is supplemented with high quality illustrations, graphs, tables, and recent references. The section on schizophrenia pays special attention to gender differences and estrogen replacement treatment. Clinical information is supported by clinical estrogen trials that show the levels of estradiol during the various phases of the menstrual cycle in women with schizophrenia. The hypoestrogenism secondary to antipsychotics is also addressed. The role of estrogen in depression in women is discussed with an emphasis on premenstrual, perinatal, and perimenopausal implications both from a clinical and research perspective. There has been some recent evidence that estrogen replacement might affect the onset and progression of dementia. The authors address this issue with recent clinical trial information.
Assessment: This is a comprehensive review of the latest information on the effects of estrogen on psychiatric disorders. I would highly recommend it to anyone involved in women's health initiatives and mental health.

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4 Stars! from Doody