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Psychotic symptoms are more prominent in low-estrogen states such as menopause. Investigators in Australia have now conducted a 12-week, double-blind, randomized study of adjunctive use of the selective estrogen-receptor agonist/antagonist raloxifene (120 mg/day) or placebo in 56 women with chronic schizophrenia (mean age, 53; mean illness duration, 24 years).
Patients were taking various antipsychotic drugs (mean risperidone equivalent, 7.5 mg/day) and were reassessed every 2 weeks. Compared with placebo, raloxifene augmentation produced significantly greater reductions on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in total score (group difference between decreased scores, −6.37) and general score (group difference, −3.72), but not in…