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Abstract not available

No description available.

The validity of the Premenstrual Assessment Form (PAF) typological category "Major Depressive Syndrome", as a distinct subtype of premenstrual change, was assessed. The nature of the depression associated with the premenstrual phase was investigated with standardized measures of depression and a test of dysphoric attentional bias derived from Beck's cognitive model of depression. Three subject groups were delineated based on prospective daily ratings: PMD (depression only premenstrually), controls (no depression), and INTD (intermittent depression throughout cycle). The control group did not exhibit a dysphoric attentional bias. The INTD group demonstrated a dysphoric attentional bias both pre- and postmenstrually. The PMD group, despite clinically elevated premenstrual depression levels, failed to show an associated dsyphoric attentional bias. These findings suggest that although PMD and clinical depression share an affective component, they may differ with regard to other features of depression (i.e. cognitive/information processing). As well, phenomenological differences between PMD and clinical depression were suggested by subjects' prospective daily ratings. For confirmed PMD subjects, depressive mood was only one facet of a multidimensional symptom picture which included signs of water retention, breast pain, fatigue, irritability, anxiety, and associated dysmenorrhea. These findings raise questions concerning the construct validity of premenstrual depression (specifically PAF Major Depressive Syndrome) as a distinctive subtype of premenstrual change.

No description available.

The effects of menstrual cycle (MC) phases (post-menses, premenses, and menses) and dietary behavior (Normal (N), Restrainer (R), and Restrainer/Disinhibitor (RD)) on women's thresholds and preferences for sucrose solutions was investigated. MC phase was determined using both daily temperature readings and days of menses. Dietary group was assigned on the basis of women's responses to the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (Stunkard and Messick, 1985). Women reported for sensory testing every third day for five weeks following a two-week training phase. Each evening subjects filled out a questionnaire to assess their overall daily fluctuations in total consumption; cravings for sweets; mood (feeling good, happy, and tired); pain (menstrual and other discomfort); metabolic need for energy (hunger, and fatigue); and stress. The results indicated that threshold did not vary due to MC phase (p = 0.9118), dietary behavior (p = 0.4037), or the interaction of these two variables (p = 0.2940). Preference for sucrose fluctuated as a result of MC phase only (p = 0.0441). Of the variables assessed daily, only "other discomfort" (p = 0.0486), "feeling good" (p = 0.0091), and "feeling hungry" (p = 0.0944) correlated with preference for sucrose. However, these correlations did not relate with MC phase clearly, indicating preference is not the manifestation of these theorized causes of MC distress. In general this study does not support the negative mood, or increased metabolic need for energy theory of MC distress. The theory of a decreased pain threshold found some support. The theory implicating dietary behavior in the development of MC distress symptoms was significantly supported. The fact MC phases have been implicated in the perpetuation of eating disorders implies the need for a counseling approach for the women most significantly affected, i.e. the R/D group. / Master of Science

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1985 T65 / Master of Science

Nursing is developing a science for explaining our interventions_ Hormones play a vital role in the female response pattern and that must be assessed in order for nursing to justify its actions. This descriptive design studied 30 women between the ages of 30 and 45 examining psychiatric addmissions and premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Two hypotheses were considered: 1) There is no difference in the incidence of admission to psychiatric facilities of women for depression, schizophrenia, or other psychiatric crises during the paramenstruum of their menstrual cycle and 2) There is no difference in the incidence of premenstrual syndrome symptoms among women admitted to psychiatric facilities during their paramenstruum.Data was obtained by questionnaire and chart review. The nominal data was analyzed using chi-square. No significant results were found statistically. The practical significance of the study is that 20 of the 30 women were admitted during their paramenstruum. / School of Nursing

Memory function was examined in association with sex hormone levels in women. The results of the first study suggest that self-reports of memory problems were especially prevalent among women attending a menopause clinic compared to a nonpatient sample. In the following investigation, women given placebo after undergoing a bilateral oophorectomy showed decreases in memory performance, specifically on a paired-associate learning task, coincident with declines in estrogen levels. Significant improvements were found in estrogen-treated women pre- to postoperatively in the immediate recall of paragraphs, in association with supraphysiological estrogen levels. A final study on naturally-cycling women found a decline in visual memory performance during the menstrual compared to the luteal phase of the cycle. Visual memory scores were positively correlated with progesterone levels whereas paired-associate recall scores were positively associated with estradiol levels during the luteal phase. These results suggest that certain aspects of memory covary with changes in sex steroid levels in some women.

No description available.