Randomised trial, 2005
Does a history of sexual abuse change how women with PMDD respond to the drug clonidine?
In this very small study, yes: women with PMDD who had been sexually abused showed different heart rate, blood pressure and stress-hormone responses to clonidine than those without that history, though the sample was too small to be confident.
What they did
12 women with confirmed PMDD (5 with a history of sexual abuse) took part in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial: 2 months on oral clonidine (0.3 mg/day) and 2 months on placebo. Researchers measured heart rate and blood pressure at rest and under mental stress, plus blood norepinephrine levels and receptor responses.
What they found
Compared with placebo, clonidine lowered norepinephrine, increased beta1- and beta2-receptor responsiveness, and reduced resting and stress heart rate and blood pressure in all women (p < 0.05). Abused women showed bigger drops in heart rate (p < 0.01) and stress blood pressure (p < 0.05); non-abused women showed a bigger drop in norepinephrine (p = 0.07) and a bigger rise in beta2-receptor responsiveness (p < 0.05).
What it means for you
A history of sexual abuse may change how the body's stress-control system reacts to this drug in PMDD. The study is extremely small (only 12 women, 5 abused) so results are preliminary and should not guide treatment choices.
12
Women studied
5
With abuse history
0.3 mg/day
Clonidine dose
About the study
- Original title
- Histories of sexual abuse are associated with differential effects of clonidine on autonomic function in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- Authors
- Bunevicius R, Hinderliter AL, Light KC et al.
- Journal
- Biological psychology
- Year
- 2005
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- What was tested
- Clonidine 0.3 mg/day versus placebo, each for 2 months, crossover design.
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2004.08.002
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