The study of psychoneuroendocrinology of schizophrenia has yielded an
extensive but inconclusive body of data, investigations to date have b
een limited by several factors, including the confounding effects of n
euroleptic drugs, methodological limitations, and lack of appreciation
for the heterogeneity of the illness. Previously, the focus of resear
ch has been on the measurement of anterior pituitary hormones, guided
by the assumptions mat these hormones are regulated by the central ner
vous system (CNS) to a significant degree and that the unique anatomic
relationship uf the pituitary gland to the hypothalamus and the CNS i
s potentially relevant. Patients with schizophrenia do appear to have
distinct endocrinologic profiles. However, although the hormonal diffe
rences between patients with schizophrenia and the general population
arrear to be subtle in magnitude. Nonetheless, investigation, and the
exploration of the possible effect of gonadal and posterior pituitary
hormones merits particular attention.