The nocturnal secretion of plasma melatonin was determined under dim to dark conditions in eight patients with prospectively confirmed premenstrual syndrome and in eight age- and menstrual cycle phase-matched normal control subjects. Plasma samples for melatonin were collected every 30 minutes from 6 PM to 9 AM during the early follicular, late follicular, midluteal and late luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. Compared with normal controls, patients with premenstrual syndrome had an earlier (phase-advanced) offset of melatonin secretion, which contributed to a shorter secretion duration and a decreased area under the curve. No statistically significant differences were found between women with premenstrual syndrome and normal controls for melatonin onset or peak concentration, or for estradiol or progesterone levels. The data demonstrate that women with premenstrual syndrome have chronobiological abnormalities of melatonin secretion. The fact that these patients respond to treatments that affect circadian physiology, such as sleep deprivation and phototherapy, suggests that circadian abnormalities may contribute to the pathogenesis of premenstrual syndrome.
PMID 2244799 2244799 DOI 10.1001/archpsyc.1990.01810240059010 10.1001/archpsyc.1990.01810240059010 Parry et al. 1990, Parry 1990
Cite this article
Parry, B. L., Berga, S. L., Kripke, D. F., Klauber, M. R., Laughlin, G. A., Yen, S. S., & Gillin, J. C. (1990). Altered waveform of plasma nocturnal melatonin secretion in premenstrual depression.. Archives of general psychiatry, 47(12), 1139-46. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1990.01810240059010
Parry BL, Berga SL, Kripke DF, Klauber MR, Laughlin GA, Yen SS, Gillin JC. Altered waveform of plasma nocturnal melatonin secretion in premenstrual depression.. Archives of general psychiatry. 1990;47(12):1139-46. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1990.01810240059010
The menstrual cycle is known to impact mood and cognitive function and has been shown to lead to variability in symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorders and anxiety. Using a within-subject design, the present study examined ovarian hormones, the error-related negativity (ERN), and self-reported checking symptoms in both the mid-follicular and mid-luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. ERN amplitude and checking symptom severity did not vary between the follicular and luteal phases. However, a more negative ERN was associated with greater checking symptoms in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, even when controlling for ERN amplitude in the follicular phase. Moreover, changes in checking symptoms between phases were associated with phase-related changes in the ERN. Finally, a significant mediation model was found such that the ERN measured in the luteal phase mediated the association between progesterone in the luteal phase and checking symptoms in the luteal phase. Collectively, the present findings suggest that levels of progesterone in the luteal phase could impact checking symptoms by modulating response monitoring and sensitivity to errors, and that fluctuation in the ERN between menstrual cycle phases may play an important role in the expression of anxious and obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
To evaluate the anxiolytic 3alpha-5alpha-reduced progesterone metabolite allopregnanolone in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle in women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and controls. Thirty-five women with prospectively documented PMS and 36 controls were evaluated. Serum progesterone and allopregnanolone levels were measured on days 19 and 26 of the cycle as determined by urinary LH detection kits. Analysis of variance and Student t tests were used to analyze the data. Allopregnanolone levels were significantly lower on day 26 in the PMS group than in controls (3.6 +/- 0.8 versus 7.5 +/- 1.3 ng/mL; P < .04). Significant differences in the ratio of the metabolite to progesterone also were noted, with a smaller ratio in the PMS subjects (0.9 +/- 0.3 versus 3.2 +/- 1.3 ng/mL; P < .05). There were no significant differences between the PMS and control groups with respect to serum progesterone levels. Subjects with PMS manifested lower levels of the anxiolytic metabolite allopregnanolone in the luteal phase when compared with controls. Diminished concentrations of allopregnanolone in women with PMS may lead to an inability to enhance gamma aminobutyric acid-mediated inhibition during states of altered central nervous system excitability, such as ovulation or physiologic or psychological stress. The lowered metabolite levels could contribute to the genesis of various mood symptoms of the disorder, such as anxiety, tension, and depression.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a menstrual cycle-related disorder of mood and behavior with unknown etiology and lack of evidence of endocrine imbalances. The absence of menstrual cyclicity eliminates PMS symptoms, and cyclic gonadal changes appear necessary but not sufficient cause for behavioral symptoms in predisposed women. As there are many depressive symptoms in PMS, we focused on the neuroendocrine characteristics of depression, primarily hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal hyperactivity, and investigated plasma adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and cortisol levels in the menstrual cycle. Blood samples were drawn daily from ten patients with PMS and eight asymptomatic control subjects who also reported symptoms daily throughout one menstrual cycle. The ACTH levels were significantly lower in patients with PMS compared to control subjects in the luteal phase. Two PMS subgroups were identified by cluster analysis applied to symptom scores. Plasma ACTH levels of PMS Cluster 1 subjects were significantly lower compared to controls. The ACTH levels of PMS Cluster 2 subjects were nearly identical to controls. These preliminary results suggest distinct hormonal subgroups in the heterogeneous PMS population and support further study of ACTH as a biological correlate of PMS.
Brandao BM et al., 2025·Hormones and Behavior·
Open Access
Hormonal contraceptives (HCs) are widely used, yet their effects on emotional and cognitive processes remain poorly understood. This study examined how HC use may influence emotional reactivity, emotion regulation, and emotional memory. Female participants (N = 179), either using HCs (N = 87) or naturally cycling (NC; N = 92), were randomly assigned to one of three groups: no emotion regulation (control), distancing and immersion, or reinterpretation and immersion. The emotion regulation groups completed emotion regulation training in which they viewed emotional images while applying different emotion regulation strategies, followed by a surprise memory test. Overall, HC users showed greater emotional reactivity to emotional images compared to NC participants. Both HC and NC groups successfully applied emotion regulation strategies as measured by changes in emotional affect; however, distancing led to a greater reduction in negative emotions compared to reinterpretation, particularly among HC users. Both HC and NC groups showed better memory for positive images after applying immersion. For negative images, HC users showed reduced memory performance when applying either distancing or reinterpretation, an effect not observed in NC participants. These findings suggest that HC use may influence specific aspects of emotional processing and memory, highlighting the need for more nuanced research on the cognitive and emotional effects of hormonal contraceptives.