SYMPOSIA

Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology, Vol: 21, Supplement: 2, 2011 - www.psikofarmakoloji.org
Poster Presentations
as a disorder founded in real biochemical disturbances (1,2). Although the effects of the menstrual cycle on emotional state and
cognitive function have been only recently systematically studied, they have long been recognized. Previously published studies yielded
inconsistent data in terms of cognitive tests throughout the cycle phases (1, 3, 4).
Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of cyclic reproductive hormonal changes on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral function
in childbearing age female patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and those with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
Method: One of psychiatric samples was a group of PMDD (n = 42), and the other was a group of GAD patients (n = 36), who had 20 and
higher on the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) score. An age matched healthy control group (n = 40) was also included in the study. The
psychiatric rating scales were applied twice according to the menstrual phases. The frontal assessment battery, Stroop test, and Weschler
verbal memory tests were applied for the evaluation of neurocognitive changes with respect to follicular and late luteal phases.
Results: There was a significant increase in dysphoric mood during the luteal phase in women with PMDD compared to their follicular phase
and compared to the GAD women and the control group. Taken together with the repeated measures and the data analysis, the GAD group
had significantly worse performance regarding overall neurocognitive functions in their luteal phase (particularly memory skills, attention,
and psychomotor function) as compared to the PMDD group, whereas the control group had significantly better performance overall.
Conclusions: Even though neurocognitive impairments seen in the women with PMDD were partly due to the dysphoric mood during
the late luteal phase, it seems to be related to the physiological and psychoneurological processes in which female reproductive
hormones may have a central role.
Key words: Neurocognitive functions, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, female reproductive hormones
References:
1. Farage MA, Osborn Thomas W, MacLean AB. Cognitive, sensory, and emotional changes associated with menstrual cycle: a review. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2008; 278: 299- 307.
2. Reed SC, Levin FR, Evans SM. Changes in mood, cognitive performance and appetite in the late luteal and follicular phases of the menstrual cycle in women with
and without PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder). Horm Behav. 2008; 54: 185- 193.
3. Morgan M, Rapkin A. Cognitive flexibility, reaction time, and attention in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder. J Gend Specif Med. 2002; 5: 28- 36.
4. Morgan M, Rapkin AJ, D’Elia L, Reading A, Goldman L. Cognitive functioning in premenstrual syndrome. Obstet Gynecol. 1996; 88: 961- 966.
5. Resnick A, Perry W, Parry B, Mostofi N, Udell C. Neuropsychological performance across the menstrual cycle in women with and without premenstrual dysphoric
disorder. Psychiatry Research 1998; 77:147- 158.
Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology 2011;21(Suppl. 2):S192-3
[PP-115] Ref. No: 259
Evaluation of olfactory function and olfactory bulb volume in major depressive disorder
Meral Akbıyık, Oğuz Karamustafalıoğlu
Şişli Etfal Research and Teaching Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, İstanbul, Turkey
akbiyikmeral@gmail.com
Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess olfactory function and olfactory bulb volume in patients with major depressive
disorder (MDD) in comparison to normal subjects.
Method: Twenty treatment-free premenopausal, 25-45 year-old women diagnosed with long-term, severe MDD at the Şişli Etfal Research
and Teaching Hospital psychiatric outpatient clinics and 20 healthy women matched by age, education, smoking behavior, and frequency
of upper respiratory tract infection participated in this study.
Odor threshold, discrimination, and identification functions were assessed by Sniffin’ sticks. Olfactory bulb volumes were calculated by
manual segmentation of acquired T2-weighted coronal slices according to a standardized protocol.
Results: When OB volumes of patients and controls were analyzed with a two-way Analysis of Covariance, with age and education as the
covariate and group as a factor, the patients had significantly larger OBs than the controls (right p=0.011; left p