--- title: Do women with anger and depression types of premenstrual syndrome have different brain chemicals? description: Yes. Women with these PMS types had significantly lower calming brain chemicals (allopregnanolone and pregnenolone) and significantly higher stress hormones ( url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/correlation-between-neurotransmitters-and-neurosteroids-and-premenstrual-2012/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with anger and depression types of premenstrual syndrome have different brain chemicals? Case-control study, 2012 # Do women with anger and depression types of premenstrual syndrome have different brain chemicals? Yes. Women with these PMS types had significantly lower calming brain chemicals (allopregnanolone and pregnenolone) and significantly higher stress hormones (adrenaline and noradrenaline) during the luteal phase compared to healthy women. Early or limited evidence 30 women with anger-type PMS, 30 with stagnation-type PMS, and 30 healthy women ## What they did Researchers compared 30 women with anger-type PMS, 30 women with stagnation-type PMS, and 30 healthy women. They measured hormone and brain chemical levels at two points in the cycle: the follicular phase (before ovulation) and the luteal phase (after ovulation). ## What they found In the luteal phase, women with both PMS types had significantly lower allopregnanolone and pregnenolone, and significantly higher adrenaline and noradrenaline, compared to healthy women (p<0.05). Women with anger-type PMS also had higher dopamine and serotonin but lower GABA in the luteal phase. There were no significant differences in the follicular phase. The ratios of dehydroepiandrosterone to the other chemicals were also significantly higher in PMS patients in the luteal phase. ## What it means for you Imbalances in brain chemicals during the luteal phase might explain why some women get angry or depressed before their period. These changes happen specifically during the second half of the cycle. However, the study is small and uses Chinese medicine categories that may not apply everywhere. 30 women in each group p<0.05 Statistical significance for main findings ## About the study Original title [Correlation between neurotransmitters and neurosteroids and premenstrual syndrome patients of Gan-yang ascending syndrome and Gan-qi stagnation syndrome] Authors Gao H, Xia T, Qiao MQ Journal Zhongguo Zhong xi yi jie he za zhi Zhongguo Zhongxiyi jiehe zazhi = Chinese journal of integrated traditional and Western medicine Year 2012 Study design Case-control study Participants 30 What was tested None (observational study) Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23359974/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23359974/) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Neurosteroids (allopregnanolone)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-neurosteroids/)[Pregnancy and postpartum](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-postpartum/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Review, 2003 How do menstrual cycle hormones affect the brain and cause mood disorders like PMDD? Randomised trial, 2017 Does Sepranolone reduce symptoms of severe premenstrual syndrome (PMDD)? Case-control study, 2026 What role do brain chemicals called neurosteroids play in PMDD? Randomised trial, 2023 Does a smartphone app for heart rate variability biofeedback reduce premenstrual and depressive symptoms? Systematic review, 2026 Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle? Case-control study, 2024 Do steroid hormone levels change differently across the menstrual cycle in women with PMDD? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗