Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2014:2014:175360.
doi: 10.1155/2014/175360. Epub 2014 Mar 27.

Prolactin and psychopathology in schizophrenia: a literature review and reappraisal

Ravi Philip Rajkumar  1
Affiliations
Review

Prolactin and psychopathology in schizophrenia: a literature review and reappraisal

Ravi Philip Rajkumar. Schizophr Res Treatment. 2014.

Abstract

Secretion of the anterior pituitary hormone prolactin can be significantly increased by antipsychotic drugs, leading to a range of adverse effects in patients with schizophrenia. However, there is evidence from a variety of studies that prolactin may also be related to symptom profile and treatment response in these patients, and recent work has identified variations in prolactin secretion even in drug-free patients. In this paper, a selective review of all relevant studies pertaining to prolactin and schizophrenia, including challenge and provocation studies, is presented. The implications of this work are discussed critically. A tentative model, which synthesizes these findings and argues for a significant role for prolactin in the development of schizophrenia, is outlined.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Gordon I, Zagoory-Sharon O, Leckman JF, Feldman R. Prolactin, Oxytocin, and the development of paternal behavior across the first six months of fatherhood. Hormones and Behavior. 2010;58(3):513–518. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kruger THC, Leeners B, Naegeli E, et al. Prolactin secretory rhythm in women: immediate and long-term alterations after sexual contact. Human Reproduction. 2012;27(4):1139–1143. - PubMed
    1. Ranabir S, Reetu K. Stress and hormones. Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2011;15:18–22. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ohta C, Yasui-Furukori N, Furukori H, et al. The effect of smoking status on the plasma concentration of prolactin already elevated by risperidone treatment in schizophrenia patients. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry. 2011;35(2):573–576. - PubMed
    1. Baggaley M. Sexual dysfunction in schizophrenia: focus on recent evidence. Human Psychopharmacology. 2008;23(3):201–209. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources