Korean J Psychopharmacol.  1998 Oct;9(2):178-187.

The Effect of Estrogen on Cognitive Functions in Schizophrenic Patients

• Kim IJ
• Jung JS
• Kim BJ
• Chang DW

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
This study was performed to evaluate the effect of estrogen on cognitive functions in schizophrenic patients.
METHODS
Neuropsychological tests such as Paired Associate Learning Test, Complex Figure Test, Trail Making B Test, Performance IQ Test Subscales were applied to 15 normal controls, 16 estrogen treated schizophrenic patients and 15 control schizophrenic patients. The schizophrenic patients were retested with the same instruments after 4 weeks and 8 weeks of study period and psychopathology was assessed in the same patients before and at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks and 8 weeks of study using BPRS and PANSS.
RESULTS
Cognitive impairment was found in each measure of memory, attention, executive function in schizophrenic patients as compared with the normal controls. After 8 weeks of estrogen treatment, significant improvement occurred in executive function and probable improvement occurred in memory and attention in schizophrenic patients.
CONCLUSION
Short-term treatment with estrogen may possibly improve parts cognitive functions of schizophrenic patients and we expect, schizophrenic patients with long term estrogen treatment will be improved in other cognitive fuctions.

Keyword

Schizophrenia; Estrogen; Cognitive functions

MeSH Terms

Estrogens*
Executive Function
Humans
Memory
Neuropsychological Tests
Paired-Associate Learning
Psychopathology
Schizophrenia
Trail Making Test
Estrogens