T146. Anxiety-Potentiated Startle Reductions Correlate With Symptom Reduction by Sertraline in Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

Abstract

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) affects millions of women worldwide, and is thought to reflect suboptimal sensitivity to the GABAergic progesterone metabolite allopregnanolone (ALLO). Anxiety-potentiated startle (APS), evoked by unpredictable threat, is mediated by the ALLO-sensitive bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and is used in this study as a marker of GABAergic sensitivity. We hypothesized that luteal (L) phase sertraline treatment will reduce premenstrual mood symptoms, and the magnitude of symptom reduction will correlate with magnitude of APS reduction. We hypothesized that fear-potentiated startle (FPS) to predictable threat, which is not mediated by BNST, will not correspond to symptom reduction.