ESTROGEN THERAPY OF AGITATED DEPRESSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MENOPAUSE LEWIS
DANZIGER, M.D.
SYKESVILLE,
MD.
The endocrine therapy of the agitated depressions occurring in association with the menopause has aroused interest in the past. Early experiments appeared to promise some success, but when these results could not be confirmed an attitude of pessimism developed. In recent years interest has been revived with the production of more potent extracts and the synthesis of estrogens. In the present paper the results obtained with these new products will be reviewed and 7 new cases, in
which 4,4\m='\-dihydroxy-\g=a\-\g=b\-diethylstilbene(hereafter referred to as diethylstilbestrol) was used in treatment, will be reported. An attempt has been made to include all the papers published in the more easily accessible English language journals during the seven years ending Dec. 31, 1940. REVIEW
OF
LITERATURE
Casual reading of the literature suggests that no very consistent results have been obtained. Some writers have attributed their success to specific therapy; others who have been less fortunate have stressed the importance of suggestion in accounting for the favorable results. Evidence will be presented to bring these conflicting views into harmony. The previously reported results are summarized in the accompanying table. Of the 164 women in the treated group, some relapsed after treat¬ ment was discontinued, and of these some recovered a second time under treatment. Such cases were counted only once. Of the women in the control group, 13 were treated later,1 and of the 13, 9 recovered or improved markedly. They are included among the 164 treated patients. Cases were selected to satisfy the following criteria : 1. The patient was treated in a psychiatric hospital. One exception to this rule was included in the table 2 because the history was sufficiently detailed to permit a diagnosis of depression. 2. The patient was treated for a minimum of ten weeks, unless she recovered sooner. 3. The diagnosis From the Springfield State Hospital. 1. Werner, A. A.; Kohler, L. H.; Ault, C. C., and Hoctor, E. F.: Involutional Melancholia: Probable Etiology and Treatment, Arch. Neurol. & Psychiat. 35:1076 (May) 1936. 2. Suckle, J. E.: Treatment of Involutional Melancholia by Estrogen, J. A. M. A. 109:203 (July 17) 1937.
Downloaded From: http://archneurpsyc.jamanetwork.com/pdfaccess.ashx?url=/data/journals/neurpsych/18410/ on 01/15/2017
