Electroencephalogram (EEG) Changes in Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD).

The prevalence of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is high among the reproductive age group of the female population. The aim of the study was to assess electroencephalogram (EEG) changes in PMDD and compare with healthy controls. The study was conducted on thirty female students of BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan, Nepal with symptomatic PMDD and thirty female age-matched controls in Clinical Neurophysiology Lab of Department of Basic and Clinical Physiology, BPKIHS, Dharan, Nepal. Subjects were screened with questionnaire and research criteria ofDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition (DSM-IV). EEG recordings of all the participants were done before menstruation start or during the peak of symptoms. EEG was dissected out into its constituent frequency bands by Fast Fourier Transformation and the data of EEG and other variables were compared in between groups. The findings showed increased frontal alpha 2 (p=0.039) in eyes-closed and frontal beta (p=0.014) in eyes-open condition among PMDD group as compared to the control group. Thus, the result is suggestive of the presence of feature anxiety, emotional stress, and poor sleep quality during the symptomatic phase of PMDD.