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Response to flumazenil in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder
J M Le Mellédo1, M Van Driel, N J Coupland
1Clinical Investigation Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. jean-michel.lemelledo@ualberta.ca
Objective:
The authors sought to determine whether the administration of flumazenil would induce marked panic symptoms in women suffering from premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
Method:
Ten women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder and 11 comparison subjects were injected with flumazenil or placebo in a double-blind, randomized, balanced crossover design in a single session in the luteal phase of their menstrual cycles.
Results:
Flumazenil induced a much greater panic response in the women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder than in the comparison subjects.
Conclusions:
These preliminary results are consistent with a dysregulation of the g-aminobutyric acid A/benzodiazepine receptor complex during the premenstruum of women suffering from premenstrual dysphoric disorder.