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. 2010 Jan 18;2010:259345. doi: 10.1155/2010/259345

Table 2.

The variation of hormonal rhythms across the menstrual cycle.

Authors [Reference] Year Sample size Frequency of sampling Hormones sampled Menstrual phases studied Significant effect of menstrual phase Significant effects in PMDD (versus NC)
Steiner et al. [57] 1984 n = 2 healthy 2x/hour for 24-hours plasma cortisol FP none none
n = 2 PMS plasma PRL LP

Webley and Leidenberger [58] 1986 n = 10 healthy 1x/4-hour for 24-hours plasma melatonin FP ↑ melatonin during LP N/A
LP

Brun et al. [59] 1987 n = 9 healthy 1x/night urinary immunoreactive melatonin across full cycle ↑ melatonin during LP N/A

Brzezinski et al. [60] 1988 n = 14 healthy 1x/2-hour for 24-hours Plasma melatonin plasma PRL early-FP none N/A
ovulation
mid-LP

Berga and Yen [61] 1990 n = 10 healthy 1x/hour in daytime 2x/hour in nighttime Plasma melatonin early-FP none N/A
late-FP
mid-LP
late-LP

Parry et al. [62] 1990 n = 8 healthy n = 8 PMS 2x/hour for 27-hours plasma melatonin early-FP none ↓ melatonin AUC ↓ melatonin duration melatonin phase-advanced
late-FP
mid-LP
late-LP

Ito et al. [47] 1993 n = 4 healthy 1x/hour for 24-hours plasma melatonin menses none N/A
late-FP
early-LP
late-LP

Parry et al. [63] 1994 n = 11 healthy n = 21 PMDD 2x/hour for 27-hours plasma cortisol mid-FPlate-LP In healthy: cortisol phase-delayed in late- LP ↑ PRL amplitude at both phases↑ PRL peak at both phases
plasma PRL plasma TSH

Cagnacci et al. [35] 1996 n = 7 healthy 4x/hour for 24-hours plasma melatonin FP melatonin phase-delay during LP N/A
LP

Parry et al. [64] 1996 n = 18 healthy n = 23 PMDD 2x/hour for 27-hours plasma TSH plasma PRL mid-FPlate-LP none ↑ PRL peak at both phases TSH phase-advanced at both phases

Parry et al. [65] 1997 n = 11 healthy n = 21 PMDD 2x/hour for 27-hours plasma melatonin mid-FPlate-LP In PMDD:↓ AUC,↓ amplitude,↓ duration, delayed onset during late-LP ↓ AUC at both phases
↓ mean levels at both phases

Bloch et al. [66] 1998 n = 10 healthy n = 10 PMS 1x/day plasma cortisol early-FP none none
mid-FP
late-FP
ovulation
early-LP
mid-FP
late-FP

Wright and Badia [67] 1999 n = 25 healthy 1x/hour for 24-hours salivary melatonin FP none N/A
LP

Shibui et al. [37] 2000 n = 8 healthy 1x/hour for 24-hours Plasma melatonin plasma cortisol plasma TSH FPLP ↓ melatonin AUC during LP N/A
↓ cortisol amplitude during LP
↓ TSH amplitude during LP
TSH phase-delay during LP

Parry et al. [68] 2000 n = 15 healthy 2x/hour for 27-hours plasma cortisol mid-FP In healthy: cortisol phase-advanced in LP none
n = 15 PMDD late-LP

PMS: premenstrual syndrome; PMDD: premenstrual dysphoric disorder; FP: follicular phase; LP: luteal phase; PRL, prolactin; TSH: thyroid stimulating hormone; AUC: area under the curve.