title: Brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAERs) during the menstrual cycle in women with and without premenstrual syndrome.
abstract: Brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAERs) were recorded at three menstrual cycle phases (menstrual, late follicular, and late luteal) in a sample of healthy control women (n = 21) and in a sample of women (n = 30) diagnosed as suffering from Late Luteal Phase Dysphoric Disorder (LLPDD). The latter were divided on the basis of retrospective and prospective self-ratings into moderate (PMS+) and severe (PMS++) symptom groups. Results showed (1) no change in BAER latencies at different phases of the menstrual cycle; (2) increased BAER latencies for wave III in women with moderate PMS symptoms compared with healthy controls; (3) increased BAER latencies for waves III and V in women with severe PMS symptoms compared with healthy controls. These results raise the possibility of brainstem dysfunction in PMS women, and support the idea of a neurobiological predisposition to this order.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Taghavi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spears
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000503:physiopathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000295:instrumentation; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted