A neuroendocrinological study of periodic psychoses in adolescence

The blood-biochemical studies, endocrinological examinations and diencephalopituitary loading tests of 3 puberty female patients with periodic psychosis were perfomed in order to clarify the pathogensis of this disease. The speed and intensity of mental breakdown were related to increase of blood-biochemical items such as cholesterol, transaminase and BUN. In the endocrinological examinations, these patients showed subclinical hypothyroidism and fractional abonormalities of urinary 17-KS and serum estrogen. The abnormality of estrogen fraction, that is, a significant decrease of E_2 for a long period played a role of the appearance of server clinical symptoms. These results suggest that the pathogenesis of periodic psy chosis might be dysfunction of the hypothalmopityitary system, and that changes in the changes in the estrogen fraction might be a useful index to follow up the disease.