Neurobiol Learn Mem：激素水平或有助于认识女性精神障碍性疾病

处于月经期这样一种特殊状态下的女性可能更易感与应激相关的精神疾患。该项研究结果提示每月的时间窗可能成为潜在的治疗靶点用来预防在女性患者中常见的精神健康问题。本研究首次揭开了精神疾患易感性和生理周期（本项研究为月经周期）之间的潜在联系。

情绪和焦虑问题的一个常见症状是有反复出现不必要想法的倾向。这些扰人的思想通常出现于经历压 力后的数天到数周后。在该项研究中，研究者测试了经历紧张后的反应是否与月经周期的不同阶段有关。

参与者为41名18到35岁之间的女性，都有着规律的月经周期，当时都没有服用避孕药。每位女性都观看了一段时长14分钟的电影，其中包含了使人紧张的伤亡片段，同时提供唾液标本以测定激素水平。她们被要求在接下来的数天内记录与影片相关的不必要的想法。

研究发现处于黄体期早期（大概在月经周期开始后的第16到20天）的女性出现的扰人思想是处于其他月经周期阶段的三倍。该研究的作者，SunjeevKamboj 博士在伦敦大学学院临床教育与心理健康系作报告时解释道。这提示我们在女性的月经周期中可能存在一个非常窄的时间窗，在这个阶段的女性在经历压力后非常容易出现抑郁症状。该结果对那些经历创伤后的女性出现的心理问题和后续的治疗同样具有重要意义。询问那些经历过创伤事件的女性的末次月经事件可以帮助识别出可能出现复发症状的高危人群。这些症状类似于一些精神疾患例如创伤后精神障碍。Kamboj博士说道。这项工作也许可以帮助医生们发现一条有用的问诊线索，来帮助他们识别哪些可以进行预防性治疗的潜在易感女性。Kamboj博士继续说道。当然，这只是刚刚开始的一步， 虽然我们发现健康女性在经历相对温和的紧张事件后有显著影响，我们现在需要去观察在真正经历过创伤的女性身上是否有同样影响。我们也需要做进一步的研究去调查如何利用避孕药物来影响整个进程。

Identification of a narrow post-ovulatory window of vulnerability to distressing involuntary memories in healthy women.
Abstract
Psychological disorders characterised by intrusive memories are more prevalent in women than men. The biological, social and cognitive processes underlying this gender-difference have yet to be fully elucidated. Some evidence suggests that (fluctuations in) ovarian hormone levels are responsible for altered sensitivity to emotional stimuli during certain phases in the menstrual-cycle and this may form the basis of a specific vulnerability to psychological disorders in women. The post-ovulatory (luteal) phase has been identified as a period of particular vulnerability to the development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Using an experimental model of PTSD, we examine whether differences are detectable between discrete phases in the menstrual-cycle in the experience of intrusive memories. Women (18-35years-old) in one of three tightly-defined periods within the menstrual cycle - mid-follicular (n=15), early-luteal (n=15) and late-luteal (n=11) - provided saliva samples for ovarian-hormone assay and watched a distressing film. Subsequent intrusive memories, assessed using a daily online-diary, occurred significantly more frequently in the early-luteal group compared to mid-follicular and late-luteal groups. Intrusion frequency was negatively correlated with the estradiol-to-progesterone ratio, but not estradiol or progesterone alone, suggesting that the interactive effect of low estradiol and high progesterone at encoding contributes to the observed effect. Our results support the need for further research in a clinical context with naturally-cycling women who experience a traumatic event, since assessment of days-since-last-menses and ovarian hormone levels may help to identify those at greatest risk of developing re-experiencing symptoms akin to those seen in psychological disorder such as depression and PTSD.