Survey study, 2011
Do women with PMDD have different brain activity linked to their mood changes?
Yes. Women with PMDD showed increased activity in a specific brain region as they moved from the first half to the second half of their cycle, and this increase was linked to worsening mood. Healthy women did not show this pattern.
What they did
Researchers used brain scans to measure glucose metabolism in 12 women with PMDD and 12 healthy women. They scanned each woman during the first half of her cycle and again during the second half, and asked them to rate their mood.
What they found
Women with PMDD showed increased activity in a brain region called the cerebellum, particularly on the right side, from the first half to the second half of their cycle. This increase in brain activity correlated with worsening mood in the PMDD group. The two groups had similar hormone levels.
What it means for you
Brain activity changes in a specific region may contribute to PMDD mood symptoms. The main limitation is the very small sample of 12 women in each group and that no treatments were tested.
12
women with PMDD
12
healthy women
2
cycle phases studied
About the study
- Original title
- Neuroimaging evidence of cerebellar involvement in premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- Authors
- Rapkin AJ, Berman SM, Mandelkern MA et al.
- Journal
- Biological psychiatry
- Year
- 2011
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 12
- What was tested
- None. This tracked brain activity and mood changes.
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.09.029
Topics
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