The Relationship Between Estrogen, Stressful Life Events, and Irritability in Perimenopausal Women

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  • April 24, 2024
Creator
  • Prakken, Alexander
    • College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology
Abstract
  • During the menopause transition, the likelihood of clinically significant depressive symptoms increases two-to-four-fold. Irritability, defined as a lowered threshold for experiencing anger and/or aggression, is a cardinal symptom of perimenopausal depression. Stressful life events and sensitivity to estradiol fluctuations have been shown to be risk factors in the development of mood symptoms in early and middle menopause, but how irritability specifically is affected by estradiol changes is unknown. In this study, we sought to characterize the relationship between estrone-3-glucuronide (E1G), a urinary metabolite of estradiol, and irritability in perimenopausal women, and to examine whether the presence of stressful life events moderates that relationship. Nineteen perimenopausal women, ages 45-53, were assessed daily for irritability and provided every other day urinary E1G samples. Severely stressful life events (SSLEs) were assessed once at enrollment. Results from linear regression models demonstrated a trend towards a positive association between SSLEs and irritability (F(3,62) = 2.1, P = 0.066) and a trend toward an inverse association between weekly E1G exposure and irritability in women who had one or more recent SSLEs (F(3,62) = 2.1, P = 0.073). No significant associations were observed between weekly E1G exposure and overall depressive symptomatology (all Ps > 0.38). Though not statistically significant, these trends are consistent with the known beneficial mood effects of estradiol and indicate the possibility of an effect on irritability specifically. Future considerations include a larger sample size, assessment of the effects of estradiol therapy on perimenopausal irritability, and the use of neurophysiologic techniques to define associated central nervous system processes.
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  • In Copyright
Advisor
  • Sikes-Keilp, Christopher
    • School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
Degree
  • Bachelor of Science
Graduation year
  • 2024
Language
  • English

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