Randomised trial, 2001
Do women with PMDD have a different panic response than other women?
No. Two stress hormones (vasopressin and oxytocin) increased similarly during a panic test in women with PMDD and in women without PMDD, regardless of where they were in their menstrual cycle.
What they did
Women with PMDD and women without PMDD received an intravenous injection of CCK-4, a substance that triggers a panic response. Researchers measured blood levels of two hormones, vasopressin and oxytocin, before and after the injection during both the early cycle and late cycle phases of the menstrual cycle.
What they found
Both vasopressin and oxytocin levels increased after the CCK-4 injection. The increase was the same in women with PMDD and control women. The menstrual cycle phase did not affect this response.
What it means for you
This small laboratory study suggests women with PMDD may respond to panic triggers similarly to other women. However, the study used an artificial test with very few participants, so these findings may not reflect how PMDD works in real life.
2
menstrual cycle phases studied
2
stress hormones measured
About the study
- Original title
- Arginine-vasopressin and oxytocin response to cholecystokinin-tetrapeptide
- Authors
- Le Mellédo JM, Bradwejn J, Koszycki D et al.
- Journal
- Peptides
- Year
- 2001
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 4
- What was tested
- Intravenous CCK-4 injection (panic-inducing substance)
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/s0196-9781(01)00462-4
Topics
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