Non-randomised trial, 1997
Do women with PMS respond differently to sedatives than women without PMS?
Yes, women with PMS had reduced sensitivity to benzodiazepines throughout their menstrual cycle compared to controls, with effects most noticeable in the luteal phase. This is a small uncontrolled study, so we cannot be fully certain of these results.
What they did
They measured how sensitive women with and without PMS were to benzodiazepines by testing eye movement speed and asking them to rate sleepiness. They tested both the follicular phase (first half of cycle) and luteal phase (second half).
What they found
Women with PMS showed reduced eye movement response to benzodiazepines in the follicular phase. In the luteal phase, they had reduced sedation response to benzodiazepines. More severe PMS was linked to more blunted responses to the drug.
What it means for you
The brain's response to a common sedative may work differently in women with PMS, but we do not know why this matters for treatment. This was a small study with no clearly described control group, so more research is needed.
About the study
- Original title
- Patients with premenstrual syndrome have reduced sensitivity to midazolam compared to control subjects
- Authors
- Sundström I, Nyberg S, Bäckström T
- Journal
- Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
- Year
- 1997
- Study design
- Non-randomised trial
- What was tested
- None - benzodiazepine sensitivity testing
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/s0893-133x(97)00086-9
Topics
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