--- title: Do brain chemical levels change across the menstrual cycle and differ in women with PMDD? description: Brain chemical levels do change measurably across the menstrual cycle in both women with PMDD and healthy women. However, the changes were similar between the url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/menstrual-cycle-related-brain-metabolite-changes-using-1h-magnetic-resonance-2001/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do brain chemical levels change across the menstrual cycle and differ in women with PMDD? Case-control study, 2001 # Do brain chemical levels change across the menstrual cycle and differ in women with PMDD? Brain chemical levels do change measurably across the menstrual cycle in both women with PMDD and healthy women. However, the changes were similar between the two groups, so brain chemistry patterns alone do not distinguish PMDD from normal. Early or limited evidence 5 women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder and 6 healthy control subjects ## What they did Case-control pilot study using brain scanning (proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy) to measure brain chemicals in 5 women with PMDD and 6 healthy controls on two days per menstrual cycle: day 8 (follicular phase, no PMDD symptoms) and day 26 (luteal phase, peak PMDD symptoms). ## What they found The ratio of N-acetyl-aspartate to creatine in the medial prefrontal cortex and cingulate gyrus declined significantly from the follicular to the luteal phase in both groups. The ratio of choline to creatine showed a significant increase in the parietal white matter during the luteal phase in both groups. The myo-inositol to creatine ratio exhibited a trend toward higher levels in the PMDD patients in the luteal phase. Differences between PMDD and control subjects were not statistically significant. ## What it means for you Menstrual cycle hormones measurably affect brain chemistry in detectable ways. However, since both women with and without PMDD show these changes, brain chemistry patterns alone cannot explain why some women develop PMDD symptoms. This is a very small pilot study and only exploratory, not definitive. 5 women with PMDD 6 healthy control women ## About the study Original title Menstrual cycle-related brain metabolite changes using 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy in premenopausal women: a pilot study Authors Rasgon NL, Thomas MA, Guze BH et al. Journal Psychiatry research Year 2001 Study design Case-control study What was tested None - measurement study Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/s0925-4927(00)00085-8](https://doi.org/10.1016/s0925-4927(00)00085-8) ## Topics [Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Perimenopause and menopause](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-perimenopause/) 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, 2026 Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle? Review, 2017 Can combining different types of treatments help PMS more than using one approach alone? Review, 2011 What are PMS and PMDD, and how common are they? Survey study, 2026 Are women who feel mood changes from birth control pills at higher risk for PMDD and postpartum depression? Survey study, 2026 Does a history of mood problems with your period predict depression during menopause? Review, 2026 How do hormone changes affect sleep in women? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗