Review, 2025
Can estrogen and progesterone be used to treat mood disorders in women?
This review discusses how female hormones affect the brain and may play a role in mood disorders like PMDD. It does not provide specific findings about whether hormone treatment works.
What they did
This is a review that examined how female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) affect brain processes and whether these hormones could be used to treat PMDD, depression after childbirth, and depression in menopause.
What they found
The review notes that female hormones affect how brain cells communicate, grow, and develop. Hormonal fluctuations appear to contribute to mood disorders in women. The abstract does not present specific results about whether hormone treatments work.
What it means for you
The review suggests hormones are important for brain health and mood, but does not describe specific findings about treating women with hormones for mood disorders.
2025
recent review year
estrogen
hormone for mood
PMDD
main condition reviewed
About the study
- Original title
- Using estrogen and progesterone to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder, postnatal depression and menopausal depression
- Authors
- Mu E, Chiu L, Kulkarni J
- Journal
- Frontiers in pharmacology
- Year
- 2025
- Study design
- Review
- What was tested
- Review of hormone treatments
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2025.1528544
Original abstract
Female gonadal hormones, particularly estrogen and progesterone, are not only central to reproductive health but also play a crucial role in regulating mood, cognition, and overall brain health. These hormones have a significant impact on the central nervous system, influencing key processes such as neurotransmission, neuroplasticity, and brain development. Increasing evidence shows that hormonal fluctuations contribute to the onset and progression of mental health disorders that disproportionately affect women, particularly premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), postnatal depression (PND), and menopausal depression. This paper explores the current evidence regarding the neurobiological effects of female hormones on the brain and discusses the therapeutic approaches in conditions such as PMDD, PND, and menopausal depression.
Reproduced under CC-BY.
Topics
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