---
title: How do hormone changes during the menstrual cycle affect brain function?
description: Hormones that fluctuate with the menstrual cycle, such as allopregnanolone, can enhance or suppress brain activity by changing how a key inhibitory neurotrans
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/pre-menstrual-steroids-2001/
---

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- How do hormone changes during the menstrual cycle affect brain function?

Review, 2001

# How do hormone changes during the menstrual cycle affect brain function?

Hormones that fluctuate with the menstrual cycle, such as allopregnanolone, can enhance or suppress brain activity by changing how a key inhibitory neurotransmitter (GABA) works. This is a review explaining theory, not new research.

 Early or limited evidence

Review article examining scientific theory, no study population

## What they did

Review of scientific literature on how steroid hormones change across the menstrual cycle and their effects on brain neurotransmitter function.

## What they found

Steroid hormones like allopregnanolone fluctuate across the menstrual cycle and alter GABA function, a neurotransmitter that controls brain inhibition and excitation. The effects depend on the timing and levels of hormone exposure, either enhancing or decreasing inhibition.

## What it means for you

This explains a potential biological mechanism for how menstrual cycle hormone changes might cause mood and symptom changes in conditions like PMDD. The main limitation is that this is a theoretical review rather than new experimental data.

## About the study

Original title Pre-menstrual steroids Authors Smith SS Journal Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS Year 2001 Study design Review What was tested None - review article Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/pl00000938](https://doi.org/10.1007/pl00000938)

## Topics

[Neurosteroids (allopregnanolone)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-neurosteroids/)[Pregnancy and postpartum](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-postpartum/)

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