Leah H Rubin1, C Sue Carter2, Lauren L Drogos3, Hossein Pournajafi-Nazarloo4, John A Sweeney5, Pauline M Maki6. 1. Department of Psychiatry, Women's Mental Health Research Program, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. Electronic address: lrubin@psych.uic.edu. 2. Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, IN, USA. 3. Department of Psychiatry, Women's Mental Health Research Program, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. 4. Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. 5. Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA. 6. Department of Psychiatry, Women's Mental Health Research Program, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA.
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.
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.
Authors: Gregory P Strauss; William R Keller; James I Koenig; Sara K Sullivan; James M Gold; Robert W Buchanan Journal: Schizophr Res Date: 2015-01-22 Impact factor: 4.939
Authors: Elisabeth M Weiss; J Daniel Ragland; Colleen M Brensinger; Warren B Bilker; Eberhard A Deisenhammer; Margarete Delazer Journal: J Int Neuropsychol Soc Date: 2006-07 Impact factor: 2.892
Authors: Leah H Rubin; Siyi Li; Li Yao; Sarah K Keedy; James L Reilly; Scot K Hill; Jeffrey R Bishop; C Sue Carter; Hossein Pournajafi-Nazarloo; Lauren L Drogos; Elliot Gershon; Godfrey D Pearlson; Carol A Tamminga; Brett A Clementz; Matcheri S Keshavan; Su Lui; John A Sweeney Journal: Schizophr Res Date: 2018-07-06 Impact factor: 4.939
Authors: Leah H Rubin; Deeya Bhattacharya; Joelle Fuchs; Abigail Matthews; Sarah Abdellah; Rebecca T Veenhuis; Scott A Langenecker; Kathleen M Weber; Hans P Nazarloo; Sheila M Keating; C Sue Carter; Pauline M Maki Journal: Psychosom Med Date: 2022-08-20 Impact factor: 3.864