The goals of this project are to detect and accurately describe menstrually-related mood disorders, explore their pathophysiology and response to pharmacological and environmental manipulation, and to document the relationship between reproductive endocrine change and disorders of mood as a way of further investigating the neurobiology of psychiatric illness. In the past year we have identified: 1) differential susceptibility to the mood destabilizing effects of gonadal steroids in 22 patients with history of premenstrual syndrome compared with 18 controls; 2) absence of a mood destabilizing effect of placebo in the hormone replacement phase of the Lupron protocol; 3) elimination of stimulated activation of regional cerebral blood flow by Lupron, with restoration of normal activation by estrogen and progesterone in 11 women; 4) reversal by metergoline of the efficacy of fluoxetine in patients with premenstrual syndrome; 5) significant reductions in plasma testosterone in women with PMS compared with controls across the menstrual cycle, with no group-related differences in plasma ACTH or beta endorphin; 6) absence of diagnosis-related differences in GnRH stimulated LH in PMS patients and controls; 7) evidence of glucocorticoid receptor down regulation and pituitary adrenal activation during estrogen replacement compared with Lupron-induced hypogonadism; 8) preliminary evidence of the ability of hypogonadal women to successfully distinguish estrogen from placebo in a drug discrimination paradigm; 9) preliminary evidence of luteal phase-related impaired capacity to respond to mood induction in women with PMS; 10) preliminary evidence of the ability of an endocrine model of pregnancy to precipitate depression in women with a history of postpartum depression but not controls.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Intramural Research (Z01)
Project #
1Z01MH000180-15
Application #
6162817
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (BEB)
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
15
Fiscal Year
1997
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
U.S. National Institute of Mental Health
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
State
Country
United States
Zip Code