Survey study, 2009
Why do some women feel depressed or anxious when progesterone increases before their period?
A literature review suggests progesterone is converted to chemicals that affect the brain's GABA system. At levels before the period, these chemicals paradoxically cause anxiety instead of calming it. Women with PMDD have changes in their GABA system that make them more sensitive.
What they did
Literature review examining how progesterone metabolites affect mood through the GABA receptor system and why this happens in some women but not others.
What they found
Progesterone metabolites (allopregnanolone and pregnanolone) affect the GABA system. At luteal phase levels, they cause anxiety and depression. Low and high concentrations have less effect on mood, but medium levels (like those during the luteal phase) cause mood problems. Women with PMDD have altered GABA receptor sensitivity related to symptom severity.
What it means for you
PMDD mood symptoms may be caused by a paradoxical brain chemistry effect rather than simply having too much or too little of a hormone. This understanding could guide future treatments, but this is a theoretical review and needs human research to confirm these mechanisms.
About the study
- Original title
- Sex steroid induced negative mood may be explained by the paradoxical effect mediated by GABAA modulators
- Authors
- Andréen L, Nyberg S, Turkmen S et al.
- Journal
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Year
- 2009
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None - literature review
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.02.003
Topics
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