---
title: Is a certain gene linked to period symptoms and depression around pregnancy?
description: Possibly. Women with depression during or after pregnancy reported more frequent premenstrual and menstrual symptoms, and a specific gene variant (RAI1) was m
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/association-of-premenstrual-menstrual-symptoms-with-perinatal-depression-and-a-2014/
---

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- Is a certain gene linked to period symptoms and depression around pregnancy?

Case-control study, 2014

# Is a certain gene linked to period symptoms and depression around pregnancy?

Possibly. Women with depression during or after pregnancy reported more frequent premenstrual and menstrual symptoms, and a specific gene variant (RAI1) was more common in them.

 Early or limited evidence

139 Chinese women with depression linked to pregnancy or postpartum, and 540 comparison women

## What they did

Researchers compared 139 women with confirmed depression related to pregnancy or postpartum to 540 women without it (based on a low depression screening score). They tested saliva DNA for a repeated sequence in the RAI1 gene and asked all women how often they had various premenstrual and menstrual symptoms.

## What they found

Women with perinatal depression reported more frequent mood changes, cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and headache around their periods (p=0.000). The RAI1 gene repeat pattern differed between the two groups (p=0.031), and one specific version with 14 repeats was linked to perinatal depression (p=0.016).

## What it means for you

A gene already linked to pregnancy-related depression may also be tied to having more period symptoms. Symptoms were self-reported and controls were screened only once, so the findings need confirming in other populations.

139

Women with perinatal depression

540

Comparison women

0.016

Link to 14-repeat gene variant (p)

## About the study

Original title Association of premenstrual/menstrual symptoms with perinatal depression and a polymorphic repeat in the polyglutamine tract of the retinoic acid induced 1 gene Authors Tan EC, Tan HS, Chua TE et al. Journal Journal of affective disorders Year 2014 Study design Case-control study Participants 540 What was tested Genetic testing of RAI1 gene repeat and self-reported symptom frequency (no treatment tested) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2014.03.006](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2014.03.006)

## Topics

[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Major depressive disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-major-depression/)[Pregnancy and postpartum](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-postpartum/)

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