Am J Psychiatry 1996; 153:718-720
Copyright © 1996 by American Psychiatric Association
Low plasma gamma-aminobutyric acid levels during the late luteal phase of women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder
U Halbreich, F Petty, K Yonkers, GL Kramer, AJ Rush and KW Bibi
Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York at Buffalo 14215, USA.
OBJECTIVE: Plasma gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels have been reported
to be low in some patients with major depressive disorder. Premenstrual
dysphoric disorder is often associated with major depressive disorder.
Therefore, the authors sought to determine whether women with premenstrual
dysphoric disorder with or without prior major depressive disorder also had
low plasma GABA levels. METHOD: Plasma GABA levels were measured in 27
women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder and 21 comparison women during
the the mid-follicular and late luteal phases of the menstrual cycle.
RESULTS: In comparison women, plasma GABA levels increased from the
mid-follicular to the late luteal phase. Women with premenstrual dysphoric
disorder and a past history of major depressive disorder had low plasma
GABA levels during both phases. In women with premenstrual dysphoric
disorder but no past major depressive disorder, plasma GABA levels
decreased from the nonsymptomatic, mid-follicular phase to the symptomatic,
late luteal phase. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased GABA function may represent a
common biological link between subtypes of depressive and premenstrual
dysphoric disorders. A trait in major depressive disorder and a state-
dependent decrease in premenstrual dysphoric disorder might imply a
possible continuum between the two disorders.
