Lamotrigine and GABAA receptor modulators interact with menstrual cycle phase and oral contraceptives to regulate mood in women with bipolar disorder.

Objectives: To examine the occurrence of menstrually-entrained mood cycling in women with treated bipolar disorder as compared to healthy controls, and to explore whether there is a specific effect of lamotrigine in dampening menstrually-entrained cyclicity of mood.

Methods: Observational comparison study of daily self-ratings of mood, sleep, and insomnia obtained over a mean of four menstrual cycles in 42 women with bipolar disorder taking lamotrigine as part of their treatment, 30 women with bipolar disorder receiving mood stabilizing regimens without lamotrigine, and 13 healthy controls, all with physiological menstrual cycles. Additional exploratory analysis of interactions between psychopharmacological regimen and hormonal contraceptive use in the group of women with bipolar disorder, with the addition of 19 women with bipolar disorder who were using hormonal contraceptives.

The role of serum testosterone in early pregnancy outcome: a comparison in women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome.

Objective: Hyperandrogenic conditions in women are associated with increased rates of miscarriage. However, the specific role of maternal testosterone in early pregnancy and its association with pregnancy outcome is unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare serum testosterone levels during early pregnancy in women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who either had successful pregnancies or miscarried.

Evaluation of reproductive function in women treated for bipolar disorder compared to healthy controls.

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the reproductive function of women with bipolar disorder (BD) compared to healthy controls.

Methods: Women diagnosed with BD and healthy controls with no psychiatric history, aged 18-45 years, were recruited from a university clinic and surrounding community. Participants completed a baseline reproductive health questionnaire, serum hormone assessment, and ovulation tracking for three consecutive cycles using urine luteinizing hormone (LH)-detecting strips with a confirmatory luteal-phase serum progesterone.

Stress and anxiety scores in first and repeat IVF cycles: a pilot study.

Background: The role of stress in reproduction, particularly during treatment for infertility, has been of considerable interest; however, few studies have objectively measured stress and anxiety over the course of the IVF cycle or compared the experience of first-time and repeat patients.

Methods: This prospective cohort pilot study enrolled 44 women undergoing IVF at a university-based clinic to complete the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Infertility Self-Efficacy Scale (ISES) at three time points prior to ovarian stimulation (T1), one day prior to oocyte retrieval (T2), and 5-7 days post embryo transfer (T3).

Results: Mean STAI State scores were significantly elevated at all three time points (p<0.

Metabolic dysfunction in women with bipolar disorder: the potential influence of family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: Overweight/obesity, insulin resistance (IR), and other types of metabolic dysfunction are common in patients with bipolar disorder (BD); however, the pathophysiological underpinnings of metabolic dysfunction in BD are not fully understood. Family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus (FamHxDM2), which has been shown to have deleterious effects on metabolic function in the general population, may play a role in the metabolic dysfunction observed in BD.

Methods: Using multivariate analysis of variance, the effects of BD illness and/or FamHxDM2 were examined relative to metabolic biomarkers in 103 women with BD and 36 healthy, age-matched control women.