--- title: Does estradiol prevent thinking problems before the period in women with suicidal thoughts? description: Yes. Estradiol prevented drops in working memory and verbal fluency that otherwise happened before the period. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/effects-of-acute-estradiol-administration-on-perimenstrual-worsening-of-working-2024/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does estradiol prevent thinking problems before the period in women with suicidal thoughts? Randomised trial, 2024 # Does estradiol prevent thinking problems before the period in women with suicidal thoughts? Yes. Estradiol prevented drops in working memory and verbal fluency that otherwise happened before the period. Strong study design 44 psychiatric outpatients (23 completed) with suicidal thoughts and natural menstrual cycles ## What they did Researchers recruited 44 women (23 completed) with suicidal thoughts and regular cycles receiving psychiatric care. Women applied 0.1 mg estradiol or placebo patches around their period in a double-blind crossover design. They completed memory and language tests at three cycle phases: mid-cycle, before their period, and after. ## What they found Estradiol prevented the mid-cycle-to-before-period declines in working memory (p=.006) and verbal fluency (p=.005) that occurred with placebo. No effects were found for inhibitory control, another measure of thinking. ## What it means for you Estradiol may help women with suicidal thoughts who experience worsening thinking problems before their period. However, this study was small and involved only women seeking psychiatric care, so results may not apply to all women. The benefit was limited to memory and language, not all types of thinking. 23 women who completed study 0.1 mg daily estradiol dose p=.006, p=.005 significance for memory and fluency ## About the study Original title Effects of acute estradiol administration on perimenstrual worsening of working memory, verbal fluency, and inhibition in patients with suicidal ideation: A randomized, crossover clinical trial Authors Schmalenberger KM, Mulligan EM, Barone JC et al. Journal Psychiatry research Year 2024 Study design Randomised trial What was tested 0.1 mg daily estradiol patches or placebo, applied around the period Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2024.116188](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2024.116188) Original abstract Accumulating evidence indicates that most female patients with suicidal ideation (SI) experience a dimensional worsening of depressive symptoms and SI in the perimenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle. Experimental trials demonstrate that acute perimenstrual administration of estradiol (E2; with or without progesterone/P4), can prevent these recurring episodes of increased risk. In this archival sample drawn from one of these clinical trials, we examined whether these beneficial E2 effects extend to specific types of cognition. For a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment, we recruited transdiagnostic psychiatric outpatients with natural menstrual cycles who experienced past-month SI (N(per-protocol sample)=23; N(intent-to-treat sample)=44). In each of two counterbalanced conditions (perimenstrual administration of 0.1mg/d transdermal E2 vs. placebo), participants completed three cognitive tasks in three menstrual cycle phases (mid-luteal, perimenstrual, mid-follicular). Multilevel models revealed a significant interaction of condition and phase: E2 administration prevented mid-luteal-to-perimenstrual drops in working memory (p=.006) and verbal fluency (p=.005) observed under placebo. No effects were found for inhibitory control. In conclusion, we find perimenstrual declines in working memory and verbal fluency in patients with SI, which can be prevented by administering E2. This study contributes to our understanding of the hormone-brain pathways involved in the cyclical worsening of suicidality. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual exacerbation (PME)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pme/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Suicidality](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-suicidality/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Cohort study, 2024 Does the tendency to ruminate make PMS mood swings worse? Cohort study, 2024 Does the menstrual cycle affect daily changes in suicidal thoughts? Cohort study, 2023 Does the menstrual cycle affect how often women have suicidal thoughts? Randomised trial, 2022 Do hormone pills prevent suicidal thoughts from getting worse around menstruation? Study, 2012 Does anxiety sensitivity affect panic symptoms differently at different menstrual cycle phases? Case-control study, 2012 Do women with PMDD have working memory problems linked to concentration and irritability? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗