Neural mechanisms underlying changes in stress-sensitivity across the menstrual cycle

• Published in: Psychoneuroendocrinology Vol. 35; no. 1; pp. 47 - 55
• Main Authors: Ossewaarde, Lindsey, Hermans, Erno J., van Wingen, Guido A., Kooijman, Sabine C., Johansson, Inga-Maj, Bäckström, Torbjörn, Fernández, Guillén
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2010
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Allopregnanolone; Amygdala; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Cross-Over Studies; Endocrinology & Metabolism; Facial Expression; Female; fMRI; Gonadal Steroid Hormones - blood; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Medial prefrontal cortex; Menstrual cycle; Menstrual Cycle - physiology; Menstrual Cycle - psychology; Pregnanolone - metabolism; Psychiatry; Radioimmunoassay; Reaction Time - physiology; Saliva - metabolism; Social Perception; Stress; Stress, Psychological - physiopathology; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Young Adult; Medial prefrontal cortex; fMRI; Menstrual cycle; Amygdala; Stress; Allopregnanolone

Hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle are thought to play a central role in premenstrual mood symptoms. In agreement, fluctuations in gonadal hormone levels affect brain processes in regions involved in emotion regulation. Recent findings, however, implicate psychological stress as a pote...