--- title: Is a brain hormone called allopregnanolone linked to how PMS symptoms improve with treatment? description: Possibly yes: in this very small study, women whose PMS symptoms improved, whether on real treatment or placebo, also had a drop in allopregnanolone levels. B url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/allopregnanolone-decrease-with-symptom-improvement-during-placebo-and-2007/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Is a brain hormone called allopregnanolone linked to how PMS symptoms improve with treatment? Randomised trial, 2007 # Is a brain hormone called allopregnanolone linked to how PMS symptoms improve with treatment? Possibly yes: in this very small study, women whose PMS symptoms improved, whether on real treatment or placebo, also had a drop in allopregnanolone levels. But with only 6 women per group, this is far from proven. Early or limited evidence 12 women with severe premenstrual syndrome ## What they did 12 women with severe PMS took daily symptom ratings before and during treatment with either a low-dose hormone drug (buserelin) or placebo. Blood levels of the neurosteroids allopregnanolone and pregnanolone, plus progesterone, were measured in the luteal (premenstrual) phase. Women were split into two groups of 6 based on whether they responded to buserelin or to placebo. ## What they found In the 6 women who responded to buserelin, allopregnanolone and progesterone levels both fell (p < 0.05) as symptoms improved. During placebo treatment, the 6 placebo responders had lower allopregnanolone levels than the buserelin responders (p < 0.05), and this matched their symptom improvement compared to before treatment. ## What it means for you The findings suggest that falling allopregnanolone levels may go along with symptom improvement, whatever caused the improvement, including placebo. The study is extremely small (6 women per group), so it cannot show whether allopregnanolone causes the improvement, and the results need confirming in larger studies. n=6 women per group (buserelin vs placebo responders) p<0.05 statistical significance of allopregnanolone and progesterone drops ## About the study Original title Allopregnanolone decrease with symptom improvement during placebo and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment in women with severe premenstrual syndrome Authors Nyberg S, Bäckström T, Zingmark E et al. Journal Gynecological endocrinology : the official journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology Year 2007 Study design Randomised trial Participants 6 What was tested Low-dose gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (buserelin) versus placebo Read the paper [doi.org/10.1080/09513590701253511](https://doi.org/10.1080/09513590701253511) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[GnRH agonists and ovarian suppression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-gnrh/)[Neurosteroids (allopregnanolone)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-neurosteroids/)[Pregnancy and postpartum](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-postpartum/) 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 Review, 2003 How do menstrual cycle hormones affect the brain and cause mood disorders like PMDD? Case-control study, 2013 Are stress hormones different in women with PMDD? Randomised trial, 2006 Do women with PMDD and depression process progesterone differently than others? Randomised trial, 2005 Does a low dose of alcohol change allopregnanolone, a brain chemical linked to PMDD? Case-control study, 2000 Do women with PMS have different hormone levels than women without PMS? Survey study, 2024 Does a Chinese herbal medicine called ShuYu capsule help PMDD symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗