The link between neurosteroids and syndromic/syndromal components of the mood spectrum disorders in women during the premenstrual phase

Maria Carolina Hardoy¹ , Claudia Sardu¹ , Liliana Dell'Osso² and Mauro Giovanni Carta¹

¹Department of Public Health, Centre for Research and Clinical Practice in Mental Health, Iglesisas, University of Cagliari, Italy

²Department of Psychiatry, Neurobiology, Pharmacology and Biotechnology, University of Pisa, Italy

author email corresponding author email

Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health 2008, 4:3doi:10.1186/1745-0179-4-3


Published:	26 February 2008

Abstract

Objectives

Females with a lifetime diagnosis of major mood disorder (Bipolar Disorder BD, Major Depressive Disorder MMD) investigated during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle and in a condition of clinical well-being showed higher blood serum concentrations of progesterone and allopregnanolone compared to healthy controls. Women with BD presented even higher levels than those affected by MDD. This study attempted to verify, in line with a dimensional approach, if the possible differences in neurohormonal levels may be directly linked to some syndromal clusters (dimensions) of the mood spectrum disorders indipendently of diagnosis.

Methods

Premenstrual concentrations of allopregnanolone, THDOC, progesterone, and cortisol were measured in 3 groups of women: 17 BD and 14 MDD outpatients, and 16 control subjects. Psychiatric evaluation was performed with the SCID-I interview and the SCI-MOODS-SR questionnaire. The correlation between steroid levels and mood disorder syndromal cluster (SCI-MOODS-SR domains and sub-domains) was evaluated by means of analysis of main components with Varimax rotation and Kaiser's normalization (which provided for inclusion of all components with an Eigen value >1).

Results

Analysis of the main components evidenced the presence of 3 components: 1) mania, 2) depression both with mixed component 3) steroid + manic cognitivity and suicidal ideas.

Conclusion

Levels of allopregnanolone and progesterone do not correlate with the association of the depressive and manic syndromes, but rather with mixed symptomatological aspects, and in particular with cognitive manic and depressive (with suicidal thoughts) dimensions. Further studies should be carried out to confirm these findings.