Investigating the Relationship between Serum Levels of Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEAS) and Executive Function in Patients with Schizophrenia Compared to the Control group

Abstract

Introduction: Schizophrenia is a chronic and debilitating mental disorder associated with psychosocial dysfunction and reduced quality of life. Neurosteroids modulate the functions of the brain and affect the activities of neurotransmitters. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the serum level of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and executive function in patients with schizophrenia compared to the control group. Method: In this case-control study, 20 schizophrenic men hospitalized in the psychiatric department of 5th Azar Hospital in Gorgan in 1401 and 20 non-diseased men eligible to enter the study were selected. After measuring the serum level of DHEAS, executive function was evaluated using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Data analysis was performed in SPSS software (version 18) using independent t-test, U-Man-Whitney, logistic regression, chi-score, and Fisher's exact test at a significance level of 0.05. Results: The two groups were similar in terms of age (P=0.4), marital status (P=0.06), and education level (P=0.1). There was no statistically significant difference in the serum level of DHEAS in the two groups. There was a statistically significant difference in the executive performance of the two groups in the items of spotting (P=0.001) and correct answers (P=0.002). Conclusion: In this study, the level of DHEAS in subjects with schizophrenia was lower than that of healthy people. The serum level of this hormone was inversely associated with the duration of schizophrenia and had a direct linear relationship with executive function in the number of categories and perseverative errors. These results can guide relevant experts in the direction of timely diagnosis and treatment measures for these people.