---
title: How do the hormones estrogen and progesterone affect the brain's activity, and could this explain PMS or PMDD?
description: Estrogen tends to make brain cells more excitable, while progesterone and a substance it breaks down into tend to calm them. This balance may help explain PMS
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/female-reproductive-steroids-and-neuronal-excitability-2011/
---

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- How do the hormones estrogen and progesterone affect the brain's activity, and could this explain PMS or PMDD?

Review, 2011

# How do the hormones estrogen and progesterone affect the brain's activity, and could this explain PMS or PMDD?

Estrogen tends to make brain cells more excitable, while progesterone and a substance it breaks down into tend to calm them. This balance may help explain PMS and PMDD, but this is a summary of existing research, not a new experiment.

 Early or limited evidence

General review, not a specific group of patients

## What they did

This is a review article summarizing existing research on how the hormones estrogen and progesterone affect brain cell activity.

## What they found

Estrogen increases activity at a receptor (NMDA) linked to brain excitement, while progesterone and its byproduct allopregnanolone increase activity at a receptor (GABA) linked to calming the brain. The review suggests this balance between excitatory and calming effects may play a role in several conditions, including migraine, certain types of epilepsy, PMDD and PMS.

## What it means for you

Hormone shifts across the cycle may change how excitable the brain is, which could help explain why some women get symptoms like PMS or PMDD. As a review, it does not provide new data or test any treatment, it only summarizes ideas from earlier research.

## About the study

Original title Female reproductive steroids and neuronal excitability Authors Finocchi C, Ferrari M Journal Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology Year 2011 Study design Review What was tested None, this is a review article, no treatment tested Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s10072-011-0532-5](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-011-0532-5)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Neurosteroids (allopregnanolone)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-neurosteroids/)[Migraine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-migraine/)[Epilepsy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-epilepsy/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/)

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

Systematic review, 2023

What hormonal treatments have been tested for PMDD, menstrual migraine, and catamenial epilepsy?

Review, 2003

How do menstrual cycle hormones affect the brain and cause mood disorders like PMDD?

Study, 2026

What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder?

Survey study, 2019

Can birth control pills treat PMDD?

Survey study, 2011

Why do some women experience negative mood with hormone changes?

Randomised trial, 2009

Does a hormone called allopregnanolone calm the body's startle reaction in PMDD?

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