---
title: Is serotonin processing different in women with premenstrual changes?
description: Women with PMS had lower imipramine receptor binding even before symptoms appeared, suggesting a pre-existing vulnerability in their serotonin system. However
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/imipramine-receptor-binding-and-serotonin-uptake-in-platelets-of-women-with-1991/
---

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- Is serotonin processing different in women with premenstrual changes?

Case-control study, 1991

# Is serotonin processing different in women with premenstrual changes?

Women with PMS had lower imipramine receptor binding even before symptoms appeared, suggesting a pre-existing vulnerability in their serotonin system. However, the study was small with high individual variation, so findings are preliminary.

 Early or limited evidence

Women with premenstrual changes (sample size not specified) compared with controls

## What they did

Case-control study measuring serotonin uptake and imipramine receptor binding in blood platelets throughout the menstrual cycle in women with premenstrual changes and control subjects.

## What they found

Women with premenstrual changes showed large individual variability with no consistent pattern. Their imipramine receptor binding was lower compared to controls in the early luteal phase before symptoms developed and remained lower during the symptomatic phase.

## What it means for you

This suggests women with PMS may have a pre-existing difference in their serotonin system related to how hormones work. The main limitation is that blood platelets were used to estimate brain chemistry, and individual variation was very high.

## About the study

Original title Imipramine receptor binding and serotonin uptake in platelets of women with premenstrual changes Authors Rojansky N, Halbreich U, Zander K et al. Journal Gynecologic and obstetric investigation Year 1991 Study design Case-control study What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.1159/000293135](https://doi.org/10.1159/000293135)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)

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