Conclusion
schizophrenia
DISORDER
This study found a higher NLR and a higher PLR among women with schizophrenia when compared to men. In female patients, the NLR and the PLR correlated positively with the antipsychotic dose, which was negatively associated with the results of several cognitive performance tests. These findings add to the emerging understanding of schizophrenia as a neuroinflammatory disorder modulated by sex hormones. We hope our results foster future investigations of sex-specific distinctions, such as antipsychotic intolerance and its cognitive implications, and the role of the NLR and the PLR as relevant biomarkers for the diagnosis of this disorder and for tracking treatment efficacy.