Sex hormones levels (testosterone and oestradiol) are thought to be low in mental disorders and may contribute to problems in thinking and memory. However, medications for these disorders can suppress levels of these hormones as a side-effect. Whether low levels of these hormones are truly a feature of these disorders rather than a consequence of medication is unknown.
We aim to examine whether levels of these sex hormones are related to genetic risk for various mental disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. We will make use of participants who have provided blood tests for genetic testing and hormone levels. By including people who have a certain genetic predisposition for a mental disorder but have not been diagnosed with the disorder itself, we will remove the effect of medication. We will also explore how levels of these hormones are related to performance on memory tasks and whether there is overlap between the genetics of these hormones and genetics of mental disorders.
This project will clarify whether abnormalities in hormone levels are indeed related to mental disorders, rather than simply a side-effect of medication. We expect to complete the project within 36 months.