Sex hormones and Neuroplasticity

Major depressive disorder has a female to male ratio of about 5:2, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a condition of clinical level premenstrual mood change, is characterized by depressive symptoms 2-3 days before the monthly period sets in. However, how sex hormones affect mood is neither understood in depression, nor in health. Our experiments will provide much needed evidence on how the female brain adapts to hormonal fluctuation and the behavioral reflections of these potential neuroplastic changes across the menstrual cycle.