Abstract
BACKGROUND: In women with schizophrenia, cognition has been shown to be enhanced following administration of hormone therapy or oxytocin. We examined how natural hormonal changes across the menstrual cycle influence cognition in women with schizophrenia. We hypothesized that female patients would perform worse on "female-dominant" tasks (verbal memory/fluency) and better on "male-dominant" tasks (visuospatial) during the early follicular phase (low estradiol and progesterone) compared to midluteal phase (high estradiol and progesterone) in relation to estradiol but not progesterone. METHODS: Fifty-four women (23 with schizophrenia) completed cognitive assessments and provided blood for sex steroid assays and oxytocin at early follicular (days 2-4) and midluteal (days 20-22) phases. Men were included to verify the expected pattern of sex differences on cognitive tests. RESULTS: Expected sex differences were observed on "female-dominant" and "male-dominant" tasks (p <0.001), but the magnitude of those differences did not differ between patients and controls (p=0.44). Cognitive performance did not change across the menstrual cycle on "female-dominant" or "male-dominant" tasks in either group. Estradiol and progesterone levels were unrelated to cognitive performance. Oxytocin levels did not change across the menstrual cycle but were positively related to performance on "female-dominant" tasks in female patients only (p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Sex differences in cognitive function are preserved in schizophrenia. Oxytocin levels do not change across the cycle, but relate to enhanced performance on female dominant tests in women. Physiological levels of oxytocin may thus have a more powerful benefit in some cognitive domains than estrogens in schizophrenia.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 269-275 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Schizophrenia Research |
| Volume | 166 |
| Issue number | 1-3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2015 |
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Keywords
- Cognition
- Estrogen
- Menstrual cycle
- Oxytocin
- Schizophrenia
- Sex differences
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Biological Psychiatry
Cite this
Effects of sex, menstrual cycle phase, and endogenous hormones on cognition in schizophrenia. / Rubin, Leah H.; Carter, C. Sue; Drogos, Lauren L.; Pournajafi-Nazarloo, Hossein; Sweeney, John A.; Maki, Pauline M.
In: Schizophrenia Research, Vol. 166, No. 1-3, 2015, p. 269-275.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of sex, menstrual cycle phase, and endogenous hormones on cognition in schizophrenia
AU - Rubin, Leah H.
AU - Carter, C. Sue
AU - Drogos, Lauren L.
AU - Pournajafi-Nazarloo, Hossein
AU - Sweeney, John A.
AU - Maki, Pauline M.
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - BACKGROUND: In women with schizophrenia, cognition has been shown to be enhanced following administration of hormone therapy or oxytocin. We examined how natural hormonal changes across the menstrual cycle influence cognition in women with schizophrenia. We hypothesized that female patients would perform worse on "female-dominant" tasks (verbal memory/fluency) and better on "male-dominant" tasks (visuospatial) during the early follicular phase (low estradiol and progesterone) compared to midluteal phase (high estradiol and progesterone) in relation to estradiol but not progesterone. METHODS: Fifty-four women (23 with schizophrenia) completed cognitive assessments and provided blood for sex steroid assays and oxytocin at early follicular (days 2-4) and midluteal (days 20-22) phases. Men were included to verify the expected pattern of sex differences on cognitive tests. RESULTS: Expected sex differences were observed on "female-dominant" and "male-dominant" tasks (p <0.001), but the magnitude of those differences did not differ between patients and controls (p=0.44). Cognitive performance did not change across the menstrual cycle on "female-dominant" or "male-dominant" tasks in either group. Estradiol and progesterone levels were unrelated to cognitive performance. Oxytocin levels did not change across the menstrual cycle but were positively related to performance on "female-dominant" tasks in female patients only (p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Sex differences in cognitive function are preserved in schizophrenia. Oxytocin levels do not change across the cycle, but relate to enhanced performance on female dominant tests in women. Physiological levels of oxytocin may thus have a more powerful benefit in some cognitive domains than estrogens in schizophrenia.
AB - BACKGROUND: In women with schizophrenia, cognition has been shown to be enhanced following administration of hormone therapy or oxytocin. We examined how natural hormonal changes across the menstrual cycle influence cognition in women with schizophrenia. We hypothesized that female patients would perform worse on "female-dominant" tasks (verbal memory/fluency) and better on "male-dominant" tasks (visuospatial) during the early follicular phase (low estradiol and progesterone) compared to midluteal phase (high estradiol and progesterone) in relation to estradiol but not progesterone. METHODS: Fifty-four women (23 with schizophrenia) completed cognitive assessments and provided blood for sex steroid assays and oxytocin at early follicular (days 2-4) and midluteal (days 20-22) phases. Men were included to verify the expected pattern of sex differences on cognitive tests. RESULTS: Expected sex differences were observed on "female-dominant" and "male-dominant" tasks (p <0.001), but the magnitude of those differences did not differ between patients and controls (p=0.44). Cognitive performance did not change across the menstrual cycle on "female-dominant" or "male-dominant" tasks in either group. Estradiol and progesterone levels were unrelated to cognitive performance. Oxytocin levels did not change across the menstrual cycle but were positively related to performance on "female-dominant" tasks in female patients only (p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Sex differences in cognitive function are preserved in schizophrenia. Oxytocin levels do not change across the cycle, but relate to enhanced performance on female dominant tests in women. Physiological levels of oxytocin may thus have a more powerful benefit in some cognitive domains than estrogens in schizophrenia.
KW - Cognition
KW - Estrogen
KW - Menstrual cycle
KW - Oxytocin
KW - Schizophrenia
KW - Sex differences
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84940444863&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84940444863&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.schres.2015.04.039
DO - 10.1016/j.schres.2015.04.039
M3 - Article
C2 - 25990704
AN - SCOPUS:84940444863
VL - 166
SP - 269
EP - 275
JO - Schizophrenia Research
JF - Schizophrenia Research
SN - 0920-9964
IS - 1-3
ER -