Study, 1991
Do hormone and brain chemical levels change between phases of the menstrual cycle in women with PMS?
Some hormone and brain chemical levels did differ between the symptom-free and symptomatic phases of the cycle, but with only 8 women studied this is very early, exploratory work and not strong evidence.
What they did
8 women with confirmed PMS had blood and spinal fluid samples taken once during a symptom-free mid-cycle phase and once during a symptomatic premenstrual phase, measuring a wide range of hormones and brain chemicals. In later months, the same women also had two hormone stimulation tests done at both cycle phases.
What they found
Levels of a brain chemical called MHPG in the spinal fluid were higher in the premenstrual phase than at midcycle. Cortisol, a stress hormone, was higher in the blood at midcycle than premenstrually. A test of the stress hormone system (the dexamethasone suppression test) showed a 62% overall rate of abnormal results, and this did not depend on which cycle phase it was done in. Thyroid hormone response to a stimulation test was normal, but the rise in prolactin after this same test was higher than typical reported normal values at both cycle phases.
What it means for you
These early findings point to possible hormone and brain chemical differences across the menstrual cycle in women with PMS that could be worth studying further. The study involved only 8 women with no comparison group of women without PMS, so the results are too small and preliminary to draw firm conclusions.
8
Women studied
62%
Abnormal stress hormone test rate
About the study
- Original title
- CSF and endocrine studies of premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Parry BL, Gerner RH, Wilkins JN et al.
- Journal
- Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
- Year
- 1991
- Study design
- Study
- What was tested
- No treatment tested; hormones and brain chemicals were measured and compared across two cycle phases
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1930615/
Topics
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