--- title: Are brain abnormalities in PMDD related to how severe the condition is? description: Yes, women with PMDD show abnormal activation in a thinking and emotion brain region, and the degree of abnormality correlated with how severe their symptoms url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/abnormalities-of-dorsolateral-prefrontal-function-in-women-with-premenstrual-2013/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Are brain abnormalities in PMDD related to how severe the condition is? Cohort study, 2013 # Are brain abnormalities in PMDD related to how severe the condition is? Yes, women with PMDD show abnormal activation in a thinking and emotion brain region, and the degree of abnormality correlated with how severe their symptoms and disability were. Early or limited evidence 15 women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder and 15 matched comparison subjects (14 pairs for fMRI) ## What they did Multimodal neuroimaging study using PET and fMRI. Fifteen PMDD patients and 15 comparison subjects were scanned during a working memory task (n-back) under three hormone conditions: ovarian suppression, with estradiol, and with progesterone. Researchers measured symptoms and functional disability. ## What they found In both PET and fMRI, PMDD patients showed greater activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex compared to comparison subjects. In PMDD patients, the degree of abnormal prefrontal activation correlated with functional disability, age at symptom onset, duration of PMDD, and differences in symptoms before and after menstruation. ## What it means for you PMDD involves abnormal activation in a brain region related to thinking and emotional control, and this abnormality is linked to disease severity. The main limitations are the very small sample (only 15 patients) and the complex hormone manipulation protocol that may not reflect real-world PMDD. 15 PMDD patients in PET study 15 comparison subjects in PET study 3 hormone conditions tested ## About the study Original title Abnormalities of dorsolateral prefrontal function in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder: a multimodal neuroimaging study Authors Baller EB, Wei SM, Kohn PD et al. Journal The American journal of psychiatry Year 2013 Study design Cohort study Participants 15 What was tested Hormone manipulation with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist, plus estradiol, plus progesterone Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.12030385](https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.12030385) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[GnRH agonists and ovarian suppression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-gnrh/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Cohort study, 2022 What are PMS and PMDD and how should they be diagnosed and treated? Review, 2026 What should doctors know about PMS and PMDD in teenagers? Survey study, 2025 Are women with ADHD more likely to have PMDD? Study, 2022 What are the symptoms, causes, and treatments of PMS and PMDD? Cohort study, 2022 Does body size during childhood affect the risk of premenstrual disorders later? Survey study, 2020 What symptoms best predict whether PMDD will seriously affect daily life? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗