Case-control study, 1998
Do women with PMS respond differently to a neuroactive steroid than women without PMS?
Yes, they do. Women with PMS show reduced response to pregnanolone in the luteal phase compared to women without PMS, particularly those with severe PMS.
What they did
Case-control study. 12 women with PMS and 12 without received three increasing doses of intravenous pregnanolone at two different times in their menstrual cycles. Researchers measured eye movement speed and self-rated sedation.
What they found
Control women showed reduced eye movement speed after pregnanolone in both cycle phases. Women with PMS showed this effect only in the follicular phase, not the luteal phase. Control women reported increased sedation in the luteal phase. PMS women did not report sedation in either phase. Women with severe PMS showed even less response overall. The findings suggest reduced sensitivity of a brain receptor called GABAA in women with PMS during the late luteal phase.
What it means for you
Women with PMS may have a biological difference in how their brains respond to hormone changes. This was a small study testing one specific chemical, so the findings may not apply broadly to all women with PMS.
12
Women with PMS
12
Women without PMS
3
Doses of pregnanolone tested
About the study
- Original title
- Patients with premenstrual syndrome have a different sensitivity to a neuroactive steroid during the menstrual cycle compared to control subjects
- Authors
- Sundström I, Andersson A, Nyberg S et al.
- Journal
- Neuroendocrinology
- Year
- 1998
- Study design
- Case-control study
- Participants
- 12
- What was tested
- Intravenous pregnanolone at three increasing doses
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1159/000054307
Topics
Related studies
Review, 2026
How well do SSRIs treat PMS?
Cohort study, 2026
Does having PMS before pregnancy increase the risk of postpartum depression?
Systematic review, 2026
Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle?
Cohort study, 2026
Do premenstrual disorder and postpartum depression share the same genetic causes?
Randomised trial, 2026
Does mindfulness training reduce PMS symptoms and fear about childbirth?
Cohort study, 2025
Is there a link between premenstrual disorders and autoimmune disease?