Review, 2024
What do brain wave patterns show about PMS and PMDD?
Preliminary evidence suggests women with these conditions may have different brain wave patterns, but we need more research to be sure.
What they did
Reviewed all published studies that measured brain wave activity in women with PMS, PMDD, or premenstrual worsening of other mood disorders.
What they found
Preliminary evidence shows lower brain wave asymmetry at rest in women with these conditions. Higher frontal brain activity in the luteal phase was also observed. Results suggest possible sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances.
What it means for you
Brain imaging could help diagnose these conditions in the future, but evidence is still early-stage and studies are often small. We don't yet know which findings will be most useful clinically.
About the study
- Original title
- Electroencephalography findings in menstrually-related mood disorders: A critical review
- Authors
- Kaltsouni E, Schmidt F, Zsido RG et al.
- Journal
- Frontiers in neuroendocrinology
- Year
- 2024
- Study design
- Review
- What was tested
- None - literature review
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101120
Original abstract
The female reproductive years are characterized by fluctuations in ovarian hormones across the menstrual cycle, which have the potential to modulate neurophysiological and behavioral dynamics. Menstrually-related mood disorders (MRMDs) comprise cognitive-affective or somatic symptoms that are thought to be triggered by the rapid fluctuations in ovarian hormones in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. MRMDs include premenstrual syndrome (PMS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and premenstrual exacerbation (PME) of other psychiatric disorders. Electroencephalography (EEG) non-invasively records in vivo synchronous activity from populations of neurons with high temporal resolution. The present overview sought to systematically review the current state of task-related and resting-state EEG investigations on MRMDs. Preliminary evidence indicates lower alpha asymmetry at rest being associated with MRMDs, while one study points to the effect being luteal-phase specific. Moreover, higher luteal spontaneous frontal brain activity (slow/fast wave ratio as measured by the delta/beta power ratio) has been observed in persons with MRMDs, while sleep architecture results point to potential circadian rhythm disturbances. In this review, we discuss the quality of study designs as well as future perspectives and challenges of supplementing the diagnostic and scientific toolbox for MRMDs with EEG.
Reproduced under CC-BY.
Topics
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