Case-control study, 2013
Does the prefrontal cortex function differently in women with PMDD?
Brain scans showed that women with PMDD have greater activity in a part of the brain called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during thinking tasks, regardless of hormone levels. Higher activity was linked with more severe symptoms.
What they did
Case-control study where 15 women with PMDD and 15 control women performed a thinking task while being exposed to three different artificial hormone conditions (estrogen only, progesterone only, or neither). Brain activity was measured using PET and fMRI scans.
What they found
Women with PMDD showed greater activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex than controls across all three hormone conditions. The degree of activation correlated with symptom severity and younger age of PMDD onset.
What it means for you
Brain function differences, not just hormone levels, may play a role in PMDD. The main limitations are the small sample size and use of artificial hormone conditions rather than natural menstrual cycles.
15
women with PMDD
15
control women
About the study
- Original title
- Brain Scans Reveal Changes Linked to PMDD
- Authors
- Joan Arehart-Treichel
- Journal
- Psychiatric News
- Year
- 2013
- Study design
- Case-control study
- Participants
- 15
- What was tested
- Artificial hormone conditions during cognitive tasks
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2013.3b2
Topics
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