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.
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
Topics
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