title: Postural control in women with premenstrual symptoms during oral contraceptive treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigates postural control among women with and without premenstrual symptoms (PMS) on oral contraceptive (OC) treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective repeated measures design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women's health clinical research unit at a university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen women using low-dose monophasic oral contraceptives participated in the study. Depending on premenstrual symptoms, the women were divided into one PMS group and one non-PMS group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postural control (displacement area) was measured using an AMTI(®) force platform during the active hormone phase (OC phase) and the hormone-free phase (non-OC phase) of the pill chart. Premenstrual symptoms were evaluated prospectively using the Cyclicity Diagnoser.
  
  
  METHODS
  Displacement area as a measure of postural control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six of 15 women showed premenstrual symptoms (primarily negative mood symptoms) between the phases and were considered having premenstrual symptoms. When analyzing postural control, the PMS group displayed a significantly greater displacement area in the OC-phase compared to the non-OC phase. In contrast, the non-PMS group did not show any significant difference between the phases. Furthermore, the PMS group had significantly greater displacement area during the OC phase compared to the non-PMS group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study shows that women with premenstrual symptoms have greater displacement area than those without premenstrual symptoms during the active phase of oral contraceptive treatment. Negative mood symptoms may affect the maintenance of postural control by central interactions. Further studies are needed to clarify the precise mechanism for altered postural control in women with premenstrual symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Physiotherapy, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden. linda.ekenros@ki.se
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ekenros
authors.forename: Angelica Lindén
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hirschberg
authors.forename: Torbjörn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bäckström
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fridén
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones