Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo 2013 Volume 141, Issue 1-2, Pages: 116-120
https://doi.org/10.2298/SARH1302116D
Full text ( 181 KB)
Sexual dimorphism and specificities of psychopharmacological treatment in women
Draganić-Gajić Saveta (Medicinski fakultet, Beograd + Institut za mentalno zdravlje, Beograd)
Lečić-Toševski Dušica (Medicinski fakultet, Beograd + Institut za mentalno zdravlje, Beograd)
Pejović-Milovančević Milica (Medicinski fakultet, Beograd + Institut za mentalno zdravlje, Beograd)
Popović-Deušić Smiljka (Medicinski fakultet, Beograd + Institut za mentalno zdravlje, Beograd)
Gajić Goran (Institut za mentalno zdravlje, Beograd)
The scope of gender related differences observed in mentally ill persons
provides a major source of inference about the role of gonadal steroids in
brain function and behavior. Reported gender dimorphism in psychiatry
includes the following: prevalence of certain mental disorders specific to
female gender, phenomenology and treatment characteristics, i.e. response to
the applied psychopharmacotherapy. Structural and functional relationship
between the hormonal system and central nervous system is closely correlated
with vulnerability to various psychopathological disturbances in biologically
different stages in women. It has been observed, for instance, that the
association of gonadal steroid activity with serotonin is relevant to mood
change in premenstrual and postpartum mood disturbances. Gender related
hormonal fluctuations may cause or be correlated with the development of
several gender-related psychopathological disturbances. The aim of this
article is to review the literature concerning gender-related specificities
of psychopharmacological treatment of some of the most important mental
disorders in women, such as affective disorder in menopause, premenstrual
syndrome and postpartum mood disorders.
Keywords: psychopharmacotherapy, sexual dimorphism, mental disorders, women