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Query: UMLS:C0011570 (depression)
 172,036 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In a longitudinal study, the prevalence of post partum depression was investigated in 293 women. They were assessed during gestation at 32 weeks, and consecutively after parturition with an interval of six weeks from four weeks until 34 weeks' post partum. The prevalence of post partum depression (RDC) varied between seven and 14%, with a peak at ten weeks' post partum. It was found that women were depressed significantly more often at ten weeks' post partum compared with pregnancy, the first post partum weeks and the later post partum period. This finding suggests that it is not directly after parturition that women are more prone to depression. The relationship between variables such as blues, parity, PMS and depression showed that at different assessments in the post partum period different women are depressed, women who do not necessarily share the same characteristics. This finding may explain why in some studies a relationship was found between certain kinds of variables and post partum depression while in others not. PMS was found to be significantly related to post partum depression only at the time of the women resumed menstruation. It is suggested that screening on post partum depression partly involves screening on depressive symptoms related to PMS.
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PMID:Prevalence of post partum depression--or is it post-puerperium depression? 839 65

Two-hundred and seventy-six oral contraceptive (o.c.) users (171 combine o.c. and 105 triphasic o.c.) were compared with 276 non-o.c. users. All women regarded themselves as PMS sufferers, and the groups were matched for age, parity and marital status. Each woman rated severity of 27 symptoms during the premenstrual, menstrual and postmenstrual phases of their last menstrual cycle. The o.c. users reported significantly less menstrual pain and premenstrual breast tenderness. When controlling for the severity of premenstrual depression, there were no differences between the three groups in the timing or severity of perimenstrual food craving or clumsiness. When controlling for the severity of menstrual pain, the o.c. users showed significantly less improvement in negative mood during the menstrual phase, compared with non-users. The apparent tendency for o.c. users to show either a delayed or more prolonged pattern of perimenstrual negative mood deserves further study.
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PMID:The impact of oral contraceptives on the experience of perimenstrual mood, clumsiness, food craving and other symptoms. 846 94

Four groups of women were compared in terms of their perimenstrual symptoms, reported menstrual blood loss and period pain, and neuroticism scores: three patient groups were referred to a Gynaecology Outpatient Clinic because of menorrhagia (N = 101), PMS (N = 104), dysmenorrhea (N = 56), and a control group (N = 105). The three patient groups showed considerable overlap in a number of symptoms. This has led us to postulate three factors contributing to perimenstrual complaints: a) a 'timing factor' linked to the ovarian cycle; b) a 'menstruation factor,' associated with the buildup of the endometrium and its shedding; and c) a 'vulnerability factor,' one aspect of which, 'neuroticism,' was measured in this study. Depressive symptoms, which were the most important in leading women to seek help for their PMS, were related to all three factors. Depressive mood changes seemed to be linked to the 'timing factor' but were noticeably worse and more prolonged in women with high neuroticism, heavy bleeding, or severe pain. One premenstrual symptom, food craving, was of considerable interest. This was weakly related to neuroticism, not apparently affected by the 'menstruation factor' and differed in severity between those in the PMS group and the other three groups. It is potentially relevant that both carbohydrate craving and depression are linked to serotonergic changes in the brain, which may prove to be particularly marked in the late luteal phase.
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PMID:Perimenstrual complaints in women complaining of PMS, menorrhagia, and dysmenorrhea: toward a dismantling of the premenstrual syndrome. 847 27

To assess the possible efficacy of fluoxetine hydrochloride in severe PMS (premenstrual syndrome, luteal phase dysphoric disorder), an open trial of this medication was undertaken on women with severe PMS. Of 38 patients seeking evaluation of PMS, 35 met the criteria for diagnosis, and 21 had mild symptoms and were treated symptomatically. Fourteen had more severe symptoms persisting for more than 5 to 6 days of the month, and 11 elected to participate in an open trial of low-dose (20 mg) fluoxetine, an antidepressant. Ten continued treatment for 3 to 20 months, with moderate to marked relief of symptoms during treatment and without problematic side effects (one patient was given 40 mg daily; the remainder received 20 mg daily). On discontinuing therapy, seven have had persisting remissions, and two have returned for another cycle of fluoxetine therapy, with relief. It is unclear whether such a strong positive response to fluoxetine, an antidepressant with particularly good effects in "atypical depression," indicates that the women affected by severe PMS have a cyclic, hormonally induced change in brain chemistry causing a depressive type of condition, or whether they have a true (atypical) mild depression with brief remission due to "perifollicular euphoria" in the estrogenic follicular phase.
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PMID:Open trial of fluoxetine therapy for premenstrual syndrome. 848 94

We investigated the effect of a daily supplement of 200 mg of magnesium (as MgO) for two menstrual cycles on the severity of premenstrual symptoms in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. A daily supplement of 200 mg of Mg (as MgO) or placebo was administered for two menstrual cycles to each volunteer, who kept a daily record of her symptoms, using a 4-point scale in a menstrual diary of 22 items. Symptoms were grouped into six categories: PMS-A (anxiety), PMS-C (craving), PMS-D (depression), PMS-H (hydration), PMS-O (other), and PMS-T (total overall symptoms). Urinary Mg output/24 hours was estimated from spot samples using the Mg/creatinine ratio. Analysis of variance for 38 women showed no effect of Mg supplementation compared with placebo in any category in the first month of supplementation. In the second month there was a greater reduction (p = 0.009) of symptoms of PMS-H (weight gain, swelling of extremities, breast tenderness, abdominal bloating) with Mg supplementation compared with placebo. Compliance to supplementation was confirmed by the greater mean estimated 24-hour urinary output of Mg (p = 0.013) during Mg supplementation (100.8 mg) compared with placebo (74.1 mg). A daily supplement of 200 mg of Mg (as MgO) reduced mild premenstrual symptoms of fluid retention in the second cycle of administration.
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PMID:Magnesium supplementation alleviates premenstrual symptoms of fluid retention. 986 93

While many of the above examples support a role of these dietary components in modifying the synthesis, storage, release and actions of various neurotransmitter molecules in the central nervous system, most of the responses to eating everyday foods are expected to produce subtle changes in physiological and/or behavioral parameters. However, the observed subtle changes may have significant consequences when present in individuals with altered homeostasis as might be present in various disease states or certain environmental situations (e.g. depression, PMS, stress). Studies in the future should investigate the effects of various diets, e.g., vegetarian, macrobiotic, traditional Eastern, etc. on physiological and psychological functioning. Care should be taken to differentiate between the responses of subgroups of subjects, e.g. male vs. female, old vs. young, and lean vs. obese, as some differences in the rate of neurotransmitter synthesis and receptor dynamics have been reported in some studies. Chronic consumption of these diets may lead to long-term alterations in the neurotransmitter systems' dynamics, or as is often the situation with long-term pharmacological treatments, may result in adaptive changes to minimize the acute effects of such treatments. To date, no such studies have been performed that have systematically addressed many of these issues. Future studies will require careful design so as to enhance the chances of detecting such alterations in function. However, the most significant alterations in function occur when a dietary component is administered in a purified form, separate from the normal diet. In this case the compound should be treated more like a pharmacological agent than a nutrient since adverse (i.e. antinutritive) effects may result. The most difficult studies however will use everyday foods with the aim of detecting changes based on the underlying biochemical changes.
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PMID:Effects of nutrients on brain function. 1073 58

Premenstrual syndrome afflicts millions of premenopausal women and has been described as one of the most common disorders in women. Research over the past few years suggests that a variety of nutrients may have an important role in the phase related mood and behavioral disturbances of the premenstrual syndrome. There is scientific evidence, at least for a few of these micronutrients, specifically calcium and vitamin D, supporting cyclic fluctuations during the menstrual cycle that may help explain some features of PMS. Ovarian hormones influence calcium, magnesium and vitamin D metabolism. Estrogen regulates calcium metabolism, intestinal calcium absorption and parathyroid gene expression and secretion, triggering fluctuations across the menstrual cycle. Alterations in calcium homeostasis (hypocalcemia and hypercalcemia) have long been associated with many affective disturbances. PMS shares many features of depression, anxiety and the dysphoric states. The similarity between the symptoms of PMS and hypocalcemia is remarkable. Clinical trials in women with PMS have found that calcium supplementation effectively alleviates the majority of mood and somatic symptoms. Evidence to date indicates that women with luteal phase symptomatology have an underlying calcium dysregulation with a secondary hyperparathyroidism and vitamin D deficiency. This strongly suggests that PMS represents the clinical manifestation of a calcium deficiency state that is unmasked following the rise of ovarian steroid hormone concentrations during the menstrual cycle.
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PMID:Micronutrients and the premenstrual syndrome: the case for calcium. 1076 3

Drospirenone 3 mg/ethinyl estradiol 20 microg (24/4) is a new unique oral contraceptive formulation that combines in a novel dosing regimen the lowest dosage of ethinyl estradiol commonly used today with drospirenone, an innovative progestin. Drospirenone is a compound closely resembling progesterone, but with the antimineralocorticoid and antiandrogenic properties of a related therapeutic agent, the diuretic, antihypertensive and androgen receptor antagonist, 17alpha-spironolactone. The prolongation of hormonally active pills in the monthly drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol cycle from 21 days to 24 days, followed by 4 days of inactive pills, is an interesting variant of the recently developed extended pill regimens (1). Recent contraceptive research has focused on improving side effect profiles and providing noncontraceptive health and lifestyle advantages. Many of these benefits are now supported with evidence-based medicine (2). Most available oral contraceptives improve cycle regularity, menstrual pain, excessive menstrual flow and acne. However, weight gain, bloating, food cravings, breast tenderness and mood alterations (especially irritability and depression and the complex of affective, behavioral and somatic symptoms of premenstrual syndrome [PMS] and the severe form of PMS, premenstrual dysphoric disorder [PMDD]) are not generally improved with the traditional oral contraceptive formulations (3). Drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol 24/4 is currently the only hormonally based contraceptive regimen with large, randomized, controlled trials demonstrating efficacy for PMDD. It has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indications not only for the prevention of pregnancy but also for PMDD and for moderate acne vulgaris in women who choose oral contraception for birth control (4, 5).
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PMID:Drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol. 1838 90

Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, typically involves physical symptoms like bloating, headache, and breast tenderness, along with psychological and behavioral changes like irritability, depression, and fatigue. Other conditions can mimic PMS, so it's important to rule out look-alikes such as contraceptive side effects, dysmenorrhea, and substance abuse. Moderate exercise and a healthy diet may alleviate symptoms for some patients. Others may require symptom-specific measures, hormonal therapy, psychotropic drugs, or, for recalcitrant cases, ovulation suppression.
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PMID:Premenstrual syndrome: systematic diagnosis and individualized therapy. 2008

Although past research on affective changes associated with the menstrual cycle has focussed on a specific pattern commonly referred to as Premenstrual Syndrome, there are compelling reasons to hypothesize that an opposite pattern, with a mid-cycle increase and a premenstrual low in symptoms, may also exist. Focusing on depression and anxiety, the present study tested whether this mid-cycle pattern of symptoms could be identified, using a sample of 213 female university students, who completed daily questionnaires for two menstrual cycles. Results confirmed the existence of a group of women who demonstrate the mid-cycle pattern of symptom changes (13%), in addition to the classic PMS pattern (61%), and individuals demonstrating no cyclical pattern of symptoms (26%). Moreover, women with a strong PMS pattern showed lower average levels of depression/anxiety than women with no cyclical changes. These findings require that current conceptions of menstrual-cycle related psychological changes be redefined to include the mid-cycle pattern, and suggest that women with strong PMS symptoms may actually benefit from a mid-cycle sense of wellness.
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PMID:One woman's low is another woman's high: Paradoxical effects of the menstrual cycle. 2065 May 71


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