title: The effect of premenstrual dysphoric disorder and menstrual cycle phase on brain activity during response inhibition.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) has generally not been associated with impulsive behavior. However, some studies suggest that women with PMDD have higher impulsivity scores than healthy controls and that brain activity during response inhibition may vary across the menstrual cycle. Therefore, our aim was to unravel potentially important cognitive aspects of PMDD by investigating brain activity during response inhibition in women with PMDD and healthy controls in relation to menstrual cycle phase.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen PMDD patients and 13 healthy controls performed a Go/NoGo task to measure brain activity during response inhibition by use of event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with PMDD displayed decreased activity during both menstrual cycle phases compared to healthy controls in several task-related parietal areas. A significant group by phase interactions was found in the left insula, driven by enhanced activity among healthy controls in the follicular phase and by enhanced insula activity during the luteal phase among PMDD patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The limitations of the present study are the relatively limited sample size, the relatively small number of NoGo trials and the lack of a baseline contrast for the NoGo trials.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During response inhibition women with PMDD have reduced activity in areas associated with attention and motor function which is unrelated to menstrual cycle phase. Insular cortex activity, involved in both affective and cognitive processing, was significantly activated during the luteal phase among PMDD women. These findings are relevant for the understanding of how ovarian steroids influence mood symptoms in women.
authors: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, SE-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden. elin.bannbers@kbh.uu.se
authors: Elin
authors: E
authors: Bannbers
authors: Malin
authors: M
authors: Gingnell
authors: Jonas
authors: J
authors: Engman
authors: Arvid
authors: A
authors: Morell
authors: Erika
authors: E
authors: Comasco
authors: Kristiina
authors: K
authors: Kask
authors: Hugh
authors: H
authors: Garavan
authors: Johan
authors: J
authors: Wikström
authors: Inger
authors: I
authors: Sundström Poromaa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol