Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) - A Potential Treatment for Psychotic Symptoms of Schizophrenia in Men?

With the recent advent of selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMS), such as raloxifene hydrochloride, there is the potential to harness the positive estrogenic effect on central nervous system (CNS) neurotransmitter systems. While the CNS effects of raloxifene have not been fully studied, its actions are mediated through binding to estrogen receptors and can thereby regulate gene expression that is ligand, tissue or gene specific. By inference then, raloxifene would be expected to impact on dopamine and serotonin pathways in a similar fashion to unconjugated estrogen.

This study aims to examine the impact of adjunctive SERM (120mg oral Raloxifene daily) treatment on the psychopathology and cognition of men with schizophrenia and related disorders

Inclusion criteria

• Physically well
• DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective or schizophreniform
• 18- 45 years
• Able to give informed consent
• PANSS total score > 60 (1 - 7 scale) and a score of 4 (moderate) or more on two or more of the following PANSS items: delusions, hallucinatory behaviour, conceptual disorganization or suspiciousness

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with known abnormalities in the hypothalamo-pituitary gonadal axis, thyroid dysfunction, central nervous system tumours, active or past history of a venous thromboembolic event.
• Patients with any significant unstable medical illness such as epilepsy and diabetes or known active cardiac, renal or liver disease; presence of illness causing immobilization.
• Patients whose psychotic illness is directly related to illicit substance use or who have a history of substance abuse or dependence during the last six months, or consumption of more than 30gm of alcohol (three standard drinks) per day
• Smoking more than 20 cigarettes per day.
• Use of any form of estrogen, progestin or androgen as hormonal therapy, or antiandrogen including tibolone or use of phytoestrogen supplements as powder or tablet.