THE BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF REPRODUCTIVE DEPRESSION
Research type
Research Study
Full title
THE BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF REPRODUCTIVE DEPRESSION
IRAS ID
97412
Contact name
Michael C Craig
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Kings College London
Research summary
Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disease-related disability among women worldwide. Further, there is increasing evidence that an important subgroup of women is particularly vulnerable to ‘reproductive depression’. In this subgroup fluctuations in sex hormones, for example in the postnatal and perimenopausal periods, trigger episodes of major depressive disorder. Postnatal depression for instance, occurs after approximately 10–20% of all live births and suicide is the leading cause of perinatal maternal death in the United Kingdom. Also, women with a history of reproductive depression are more vulnerable to premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Although the effect of premenstrual dysphoric disorder is often considered to be relatively mild, it affects up to 8% of premenopausal women, and is estimated to account for over 3 million Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in the United Kingdom. In summary, reproductive depression is a significant burden to women, and effective treatments are required.
Preliminary studies have reported that reproductive depression is less responsive to conventional anti-depressant regimes, and more receptive to hormonal therapies. Consequently, some doctors in the UK prescribe sex hormones as the first line treatment in women with reproductive depression. Nevertheless, the biological evidence to support this approach is controversial. For example, variation in sex hormones affects emotion processing and estrogen, in particular, modulates the serotonergic system in limbic brain regions. However, it is poorly understood whether these effects are different in women with reproductive depression. Hence we wish to build on our prior work into the effects of sex hormones on cognition in women. We plan to use functional Magnetic Imaging (fMRI) investigate the relationship between sex hormone levels in the premenstrual phase and brain function during an emotion processing task in parous women with, and without, a history of postnatal depression.
REC name
London - Chelsea Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0650
Date of REC Opinion
15 Jul 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion