Survey study, 2006
Is low brain serotonin linked to mood problems in premenstrual dysphoric disorder?
In women with premenstrual dysphoria, mood symptoms like irritability and depression worsen when brain serotonin levels drop before their period, suggesting serotonin plays a role in PMDD. This supports why serotonin-boosting drugs help these symptoms.
What they did
A study of 8 women with premenstrual dysphoria who had positron emission tomography brain scans during the follicular phase (early cycle) and premenstrual phase to measure serotonin levels. Participants also rated their mood and physical symptoms daily.
What they found
Worsening of irritability and depressed mood showed strong inverse associations with lower brain serotonin levels (irritability r = -0.83, depressed mood r = -0.81). Positive mood improved with higher serotonin. Physical symptoms showed weak or no association with serotonin changes.
What it means for you
The link between low serotonin and worse mood in PMDD is supported by these findings, which helps explain why serotonin-boosting medications work. However, this is a very small study, so results are preliminary and need confirmation in larger groups.
8
women with premenstrual dysphoria
-0.83
correlation between lower serotonin and irritability
-0.81
correlation between lower serotonin and depressed mood
About the study
- Original title
- Mood changes correlate to changes in brain serotonin precursor trapping in women with premenstrual dysphoria
- Authors
- Eriksson O, Wall A, Marteinsdottir I et al.
- Journal
- Psychiatry research
- Year
- 2006
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2005.02.012
Topics
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