1 1 7 ear Colleagues, Steroid hormones exert significant effects on the central nervous system. This concept has been clearly proved by functional brain-imaging studies, which demon- strate the impact of hormones on brain function. Hormone levels can be assessed in various ways, such as static measurements, dynamic challenges, or chronobiological profiles.  In  psychiatry,  hormones  are  intimately  related  to  both  symptoms  and therapeutics.  For  instance,  there  exist  well-established  relationships  between  sex hormone levels and mood and behavior disorders. Hormones are put to effective use in  the  treatment  of  some  psychiatric  conditions. Thus, it  has  been  shown  that  the correction of hormonal deficits can improve mood or cognition. The  effect  of  hormones  on  psychiatric  symptoms  raises  fascinating  questions about the interrelationships between endocrinology and psychiatry. More research is  certainly  warranted  to  clarify  the  nature  of  the  association  between  hormonal deficits  and  some  mental  disorders, such  as  mood  abnormalities, brain  aging, and mild cognitive impairment. These various aspects are developed with great clarity in this issue. We are very grateful to David Rubinow for bringing together the contributions of such experts in the field of neuroendocrinology and psychiatry. Yours sincerely, Jean-Paul Macher, MD Marc-Antoine Crocq, MD E d i t o r i a l D
Vol 4 n° 2 - Cerebral aspects of reproductive endocrinology
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