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Androgen Excretion and Physique in Schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

B. W. L. Brooksbank
Affiliation:
M.R.C. Neuropsychiatric Research Unit, Carshalton and West Park Hospital, Epsom, Surrey, England
David A. MacSweeney
Affiliation:
M.R.C. Neuropsychiatric Research Unit, Carshalton and West Park Hospital, Epsom, Surrey, England
Anthony L. Johnson
Affiliation:
M.R.C. Neuropsychiatric Research Unit, Carshalton and West Park Hospital, Epsom, Surrey, England
Ann E. Cunningham
Affiliation:
M.R.C. Neuropsychiatric Research Unit, Carshalton and West Park Hospital, Epsom, Surrey, England
David A. Wilson
Affiliation:
M.R.C. Neuropsychiatric Research Unit, Carshalton and West Park Hospital, Epsom, Surrey, England
Alec Coppen
Affiliation:
M.R.C. Neuropsychiatric Research Unit, Carshalton and West Park Hospital, Epsom, Surrey, England

Extract

A proportion of individuals suffering from schizophrenia show either physical or psychological signs of gonadal underfunction or incomplete sexual maturation (Hoskins, 1943; Hoskins and Pincus, 1949; Bleuler, 1954; Sands, 1957; Reiss, 1958; cf. Shader and Grinspoon, 1967). Rey and Coppen (1959) reported significantly lower, that is more feminine, androgyny scores (Tanner, 1962) in schizophrenic patients, although reduced scores were also found to a lesser extent in depressive and neurotic patients. Sex chromosome anomalies were not found in those patients with abnormally low androgyny scores (Cowie, Coppen and Norman, 1960), and it is possible that the abnormal physique is caused by some hormonal malfunction during development which also may be associated with a predisposition to psychiatric illness.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1970 

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