Case-control study, 2023
Does the serotonin system work differently in PMDD across the menstrual cycle?
Yes. Women with PMDD showed an 18 percent increase in serotonin transporter binding during the premenstrual phase while controls showed a 10 percent decrease. This increase correlated with depression severity.
What they did
Researchers studied 30 people with PMDD and 29 without PMDD. They used brain PET scans to measure serotonin transporter levels (a protein that removes serotonin from the brain) at two points in the menstrual cycle: around ovulation and before the period. They collected 118 scans total.
What they found
In the PMDD group, serotonin transporter binding increased from 1.64 during ovulation to 1.93 before the period, an 18 percent increase. In the control group, it decreased from 1.65 to 1.49, a 10 percent decrease. The stronger the increase in serotonin transporter, the worse the depression symptoms in women with PMDD.
What it means for you
Women with PMDD may have a serotonin system that gets more active just before their period, which could explain depressive symptoms. This finding suggests that treatments targeting serotonin before symptoms start might help. The study used objective brain imaging measures.
30
People with PMDD
29
Control participants
18%
Increase in serotonin transporter PMDD
About the study
- Original title
- Increase in Serotonin Transporter Binding in Patients With Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Across the Menstrual Cycle: A Case-Control Longitudinal Neuroreceptor Ligand Positron Emission Tomography Imaging Study
- Authors
- Sacher J, Zsido RG, Barth C et al.
- Journal
- Biological psychiatry
- Year
- 2023
- Study design
- Case-control study
- Participants
- 30
- What was tested
- Brain PET scans measuring serotonin transporter binding
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.12.023
Topics
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