Case-control study, 1990
Do women with PMS have different serotonin levels in their blood?
Blood samples from women with PMS showed different patterns of serotonin uptake compared to women without PMS, suggesting there may be differences in blood chemistry. However, this lab study looked at isolated blood cells, not actual PMS symptoms in living women.
What they did
Case-control lab study comparing blood plasma from women with PMS and healthy controls to see how well serotonin is taken up by blood cells and brain tissue
What they found
Plasma from women with PMS caused less stimulation of serotonin uptake in blood platelets compared to controls. Premenstrual plasma from women with PMS more strongly inhibited serotonin uptake than plasma from women without PMS. In brain tissue samples, there were no significant differences between groups.
What it means for you
This lab study found differences in how blood platelets handle serotonin in women with PMS, but these same differences were not found in brain tissue samples. Since this is isolated cells in a lab, not measurements of real PMS symptoms in living women, the practical significance is unclear.
About the study
- Original title
- Alteration of 5-HT uptake by plasma fractions in the premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Ashby CR Jr, Carr LA, Cook CL et al.
- Journal
- Journal of neural transmission. General section
- Year
- 1990
- Study design
- Case-control study
- What was tested
- None; observational lab study of blood chemistry
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1007/bf01250999