Health
PMS tied to depressed nerve activity
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Jan. 14, 2008
The symptoms of premenstrual syndrome are linked to a reduction in autonomic nervous system activity just before the start of menstruation, but those with severe symptoms may always have a depressed nervous system, according to a study in BioPsychoSocial Medicine last month.
Researchers with the International Buddhist University in Osaka, Japan, examined 62 women with regular cycles. Those who were classified as having PMS had a decline in their autonomic and parasympathetic nerve activity once a month. Women diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder always had a reduction of this kind of activity.
The authors suggest that this finding may eventually help elucidate the cause of this complex phenomenon.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/01/14/hlbf0114.htm.
