Editor: Akhmetova Aigerim
Author: Aldiyarbek Nurlan
It has long been known that the menstrual cycle can affect a woman's mood and well-being. For most women of reproductive age, this manifests itself as mild symptoms that do not require treatment, but in 3-5% of women, hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle lead to disabling mental symptoms: premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
Selective progesterone receptor modulators bind to and inhibit progesterone receptors in the brain. This is a relatively new class of drugs developed for the treatment of uterine fibroids and endometriosis. In this multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, scientists from Uppsala University, Karolinska Institutet and Umeå University, Sweden, first demonstrated the efficacy of a selective progesterone receptor modulator as a treatment for PMDD.
“The side effects were minor, and the ongoing development of well-tolerated progesterone receptor modulators will hopefully make it an alternative treatment option for PMDD patients,” says Professor Inger Sundström-Poromaa of the Department of Women's and Children's Health and the Women's Mental Health Center during Reproductive Life (WoMHeR) at Uppsala University.
Looking ahead, researchers are currently investigating how a progesterone receptor modulator affects the brains of women with PMDD. By neuroimaging the brains of these patients, before and during treatment with magnetic resonance imaging, researchers are aiming to identify structural and functional signs of the brain that may explain the relief of PMDD symptoms.
According to the researchers, the study's findings will be an important piece of the puzzle to improve our understanding of PMDD mechanisms. Today, the first-line treatments for PMDD are serotonin reuptake inhibitors. While these drugs are very effective, they are not suitable for all women, and additional treatment options are valuable. In addition, it is more desirable to receive a treatment that is more specifically directed at the mechanisms underlying this mental disorder.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201210074731.htm
