What is the Origin of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)?

The term is descriptive, combining "premenstrual" for its temporal relationship to menses and "dysphoric disorder" for the core emotional distress. It was formally recognized as a separate clinical entity to ensure appropriate diagnostic criteria and to facilitate targeted research into its unique neuroendocrine pathophysiology.

What is the Mechanism of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)?

The condition is hypothesized to result from an aberrant, hypersensitive response of central nervous system pathways, particularly those involving serotonin and GABA, to the normal cyclical rise and fall of progesterone and its neuroactive metabolite, allopregnanolone. The underlying mechanism is not a hormone deficiency but rather a dysregulated brain response to the allosteric modulation of GABAA receptors by the neurosteroids, leading to profound premenstrual mood destabilization.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) ∞ Area

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

Meaning

A severe, cyclical mood disorder classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), characterized by debilitating affective and somatic symptoms that manifest consistently during the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) involves extreme irritability, mood swings, and anxiety that significantly impair social and occupational functioning, distinct from the milder Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). It is considered a pathological neurobiological sensitivity to normal hormonal fluctuations.