title: Short-term use of estradiol for depression in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women: a preliminary report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors examined the effect of a 4-week course of estrogen therapy on depression in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two depressed women who were either perimenopausal (N=10) or postmenopausal (N=12) received open-label treatment with transdermal 17beta-estradiol (100 micro g/day) for 4 weeks. The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory were used to assess depressive symptoms, the Greene Climacteric Scale was used to assess menopause-related symptoms, and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) was used to assess global clinical improvement in these women at baseline and after treatment. Remission of depression was defined as a score <10 on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and a score </=2 on the CGI at week 4.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Remission of depression was noted in eight of the 20 women who completed the study; two of these women were postmenopausal, and six were perimenopausal. Antidepressant response was not associated with severity or subtypes of depression at study entry or with concomitant improvement in menopause-related symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some perimenopausal women with depression may benefit from short-term use of estrogen therapy, and its role for postmenopausal depressed women warrants further investigation. Antidepressant benefit associated with estrogen therapy may be independent of improvement in physical symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Perinatal and Reproductive Psychiatry Clinical Research Program and Vicent Memorail Obstetrics and Gynecology Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. LCOHEN2@PARTNERS.ORG
authors.forename: Lee S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Claudio N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Jennifer R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Poitras
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prouty
authors.forename: Allison B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Jan L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Shifren
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D002979:Climacteric / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004958:Estradiol