Case-control study, 1999
Do women with PMDD have a serotonin problem in their brain?
Women with pure PMDD may have a serotonin dysfunction based on some brain chemistry measurements, though not all tests differed from healthy women.
What they did
Case-control study comparing 9 women with pure PMDD to 9 healthy controls. Researchers tested serotonin function by giving a fenfluramine challenge drug and measuring prolactin and cortisol responses during the follicular phase and late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.
What they found
Prolactin response to fenfluramine was similar in both groups. However, women with PMDD showed a trend toward delayed response to the drug, and a significant negative correlation between prolactin and cortisol in the PMDD group but not in controls. Women with PMDD had significantly lower 3H-imipramine binding levels during the late luteal phase.
What it means for you
There may be an underlying serotonin problem in PMDD based on brain chemistry, but some test results were similar to healthy women, leaving uncertainty. The study was small with only 9 women per group, which limits confidence in the findings.
9
women with pure PMDD
9
healthy control women
About the study
- Original title
- Serotonergic dysfunction in women with pure premenstrual dysphoric disorder: is the fenfluramine challenge test still relevant?
- Authors
- Steiner M, Yatham LN, Coote M et al.
- Journal
- Psychiatry research
- Year
- 1999
- Study design
- Case-control study
- What was tested
- Fenfluramine neuroendocrine challenge test
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/s0165-1781(99)00062-1
Topics
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