Improvement of General Symptoms in a Chronic Psychotic Patient Treated with Finasteride: Case Report

Introduction

Recent evidence indicates that neuroactive steroids (NS) may participate in the pathogenesis of the schizophrenia spectrum of disorders. NS levels have been correlated to symptom severity in schizophrenic patients [8], and have been shown to influence the function of major key substrates involved in the pathophysiology of psychotic disorders, such as the dopaminergic mesolimbic system [3] [5]. Bortolato et al. [1] investigated the role of 5α-reductase (5AR), the rate-limiting enzyme of one of the two major metabolic pathways in brain steroidogenesis, in schizophrenia, suggesting that 5AR inhibitors elicit antipsychotic-like effects in animals.

5AR converts ketosteroid precursors (such as prostagens, androgens and glucocorticoids) into their active 5α-reduced metabolites. Two isoforms of 5AR have been identified so far, differing in chemical characteristics and tissue distribution.

References

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Notice:

This article was changed according to the following erratum on June 22nd 2011.

Erratum:

The correct affiliations of D. Piomelli are:

Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA and Unit of Drug Discovery and Development, Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa, Italy

Correspondence