Case-control study, 2011
Are seasonal mood changes and premenstrual symptoms both common in women with bipolar disorder?
Yes, particularly in bipolar II disorder. Women with bipolar disorder experience both seasonal and premenstrual mood changes, and these two cycles appear to be related.
What they did
Case-control study comparing 61 women with bipolar I or II disorder to 122 healthy women, measuring lifetime seasonality and premenstrual symptoms using questionnaires.
What they found
Patients with bipolar disorder had higher seasonality scores than healthy controls, with a more prominent difference in bipolar II (p<0.0001) than bipolar I (p=0.001). Among women with bipolar II, 51.6% had moderate to severe PMS compared to 19.7% of controls. Seasonality and PMS were significantly associated in both groups.
What it means for you
Women with bipolar II disorder especially experience regular cyclical changes related to both seasons and menstrual cycles, possibly through a shared biological mechanism. Study size and single-country scope limit generalizability.
61
women with bipolar disorder
51.6%
bipolar II women with moderate-severe PMS
19.7%
controls with moderate-severe PMS
About the study
- Original title
- Association of seasonality and premenstrual symptoms in bipolar I and bipolar II disorders
- Authors
- Choi J, Baek JH, Noh J et al.
- Journal
- Journal of affective disorders
- Year
- 2011
- Study design
- Case-control study
- Participants
- 122
- What was tested
- Assessment only (no treatment).
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2010.07.030
Topics
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