Survey study, 1994
Do brain chemicals linked to mood (serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline) look different in women with PMS?
Overall levels of these brain chemicals in spinal fluid were not different between women with PMS and women without, but some patterns in how the chemicals related to each other and to hormones did differ. With only 13 women per group, the authors call this preliminary.
What they did
Researchers took spinal fluid samples by lumbar puncture from 13 women with PMS (not depressed, not on medication) and 13 women without premenstrual complaints. Samples came from the luteal and/or follicular phase; 6 patients and 8 controls gave samples in both phases. They measured breakdown products of serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine, and compared these to hormone levels.
What they found
No difference between groups in average metabolite levels in either phase, and no luteal vs follicular difference within either group. HVA and 5-HIAA varied less sample-to-sample in the PMS group than in controls. The HVA/5-HIAA ratio was significantly lower in PMS patients than controls, and in the luteal phase this ratio correlated negatively with estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. The noradrenaline metabolite correlated with luteinizing hormone in the follicular phase, and the dopamine metabolite with prolactin in the luteal phase.
What it means for you
This hints at subtle differences in brain chemical regulation in PMS rather than simple differences in amount, but the sample was very small and uneven across phases, so the authors say results need repeating in a larger study.
13
women with PMS studied
13
control women studied
6 / 8
patients/controls sampled in both phases
About the study
- Original title
- Cerebrospinal fluid levels of monoamine metabolites. A preliminary study of their relation to menstrual cycle phase, sex steroids, and pituitary hormones in healthy women and in women with premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Eriksson E, Alling C, Andersch B et al.
- Journal
- Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
- Year
- 1994
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 13
- What was tested
- None tested. This measured spinal fluid chemicals and hormones, not a treatment.
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1038/sj.npp.1380107
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