Depression during menopausal transition: A review of treatment strategies and pathophysiological correlates

Menopause International

Volumn 14, Issue 3, 2008, Pages 123-128

  Frey, Benicio N ^a   Lord, Catherine ^a   Soares, Claudio N ^a  

^a MCMASTER UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

Author keywords

Major depression; menopause; pathophysiology; treatment; women

Indexed keywords

ANTIDEPRESSANT AGENT; BRAIN DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR; DULOXETINE; ESTRADIOL; ESTROGEN; ISOFLAVONE; NORADRENALIN; PLACEBO; SEROTONIN; SEROTONIN 2A RECEPTOR; SEROTONIN NORADRENALIN REUPTAKE INHIBITOR; SEROTONIN UPTAKE INHIBITOR; SEX HORMONE; TESTOSTERONE; VENLAFAXINE; SELECTIVE ESTROGEN RECEPTOR MODULATOR;

BODY MASS; CLIMACTERIUM; CLINICAL TRIAL; DENDRITIC SPINE; DEPRESSION; DISTRESS SYNDROME; DOWN REGULATION; DRUG EFFICACY; DRUG USE; ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR; ESTROGEN BLOOD LEVEL; ESTROGEN THERAPY; ETHNICITY; FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING; HAMILTON SCALE; HIGH RISK POPULATION; HORMONAL REGULATION; HORMONE RELEASE; HORMONE SUBSTITUTION; HOT FLUSH; HUMAN; HYPOTHALAMUS HYPOPHYSIS ADRENAL SYSTEM; LIFE STRESS; LONGITUDINAL STUDY; MOOD DISORDER; NERVE CELL PLASTICITY; NERVOUS SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT; NEUROTRANSMISSION; NONHUMAN; NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING; OVARY CYCLE; PATHOPHYSIOLOGY; POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY; POSTMENOPAUSE; PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME; PSYCHOLOGIC ASSESSMENT; PUERPERAL DEPRESSION; QUESTIONNAIRE; REMISSION; REVIEW; RISK ASSESSMENT; RISK FACTOR; SINGLE PHOTON EMISSION COMPUTER TOMOGRAPHY; SLEEP DISORDER; SOCIAL STATUS; VASOMOTOR DISORDER; BLOOD; FEMALE; MENOPAUSE; MENTAL STRESS; PHYSIOLOGY; PSYCHOLOGICAL RATING SCALE; QUALITY OF LIFE; WOMEN'S HEALTH;

ANTIDEPRESSIVE AGENTS; DEPRESSION; ESTRADIOL; FEMALE; HUMANS; MENOPAUSE; PSYCHIATRIC STATUS RATING SCALES; QUALITY OF LIFE; RISK FACTORS; SELECTIVE ESTROGEN RECEPTOR MODULATORS; STRESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL; WOMEN'S HEALTH;

EID: 56149099978     PISSN: 17540453     EISSN: 17540461     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1258/mi.2008.008019     Document Type: Review

References (68)

1. Lopez AD, Murray CC. The global burden of disease, 1990–2020. Nat Med 1998; 4: 1241–3
2. Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Swartz M, Blazer DG, Nelson CB. Sex and depression in the National Comorbidity Survey. I: lifetime prevalence, chronicity and recurrence. J Affect Disord 1993; 29: 85–96
3. Arpels JC. The female brain hypoestrogenic continuum from the premenstrual syndrome to menopause. A hypothesis and review of supporting data. J Reprod Med 1996; 41: 633–9
4. Rubinow DR, Schmidt PJ, Roca CA. Estrogen-serotonin interactions: implications for affective regulation. Biol Psychiatry 1998; 44: 839–50
5. Cyranowski JM, Frank E, Young E, Shear MK. Adolescent onset of the gender difference in lifetime rates of major depression: a theoretical model. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2000; 57: 21–27
6. Bebbington PE, Dunn G, Jenkins R,, et al The influence of age and sex on the prevalence of depressive conditions: report from the National Survey of Psychiatric Morbidity. Psychol Med 1998; 28: 9–19
7. Avis NE, Brambilla D, McKinlay SM, Vass K. A longitudinal analysis of the association between menopause and depression. Results from the Massachusetts Women's Health Study. Ann Epidemiol 1994; 4: 214–20
8. Bromberger JT, Meyer PM, Kravitz HM,, et al Psychologic distress and natural menopause: a multiethnic community study. Am J Public Health 2001; 91: 1435–42
9. Maartens LW, Knottnerus JA, Pop VJ. Menopausal transition and increased depressive symptomatology: a community-based prospective study. Maturitas 2002; 42: 195–200
10. Amore M, Di Donato P, Berti A,, et al Sexual and psychological symptoms in the climacteric years. Maturitas 2007; 56: 303–11
11. Freeman EW, Sammel MD, Lin H, Nelson DB. Associations of hormones and menopausal status with depressed mood in women with no history of depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2006; 63: 375–82
12. Freeman EW, Sammel MD, Liu L, Gracia CR, Nelson DB, Hollander L. Hormones and menopausal status as predictors of depression in women in transition to menopause. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2004; 61: 62–70
13. Bromberger JT, Matthews KA, Schott LL,, et al Depressive symptoms during the menopausal transition: the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN). J Affect Disord 2007; 103: 267–72
14. Woods NF, Smith-DiJulio K, Percival DB, Tao EY, Mariella A, Mitchell S. Depressed mood during the menopausal transition and early postmenopause: observations from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study. Menopause 2008; 15: 223–32
15. Deecher D, Andree TH, Sloan D, Schechter LE. From menarche to menopause: exploring the underlying biology of depression in women experiencing hormonal changes. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2008; 33: 3–17
16. Slaven L, Lee C. Mood and symptom reporting among middle-aged women: the relationship between menopausal status, hormone replacement therapy, and exercise participation. Health Psychol 1997; 16: 203–8
17. Juang KD, Wang SJ, Lu SR, Lee SJ, Fuh JL. Hot flashes are associated with psychological symptoms of anxiety and depression in peri- and post- but not premenopausal women. Maturitas 2005; 52: 119–26
18. Kaufert PA, Gilbert P, Tate R. The Manitoba Project: a re-examination of the link between menopause and depression. Maturitas 1992; 14: 143–55
19. Cohen LS, Soares CN, Vitonis AF, Otto MW, Harlow BL. Risk for new onset of depression during the menopausal transition: the Harvard study of moods and cycles. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2006; 63: 385–90
20. Bloch M, Schmidt PJ, Danaceau M, Murphy J, Nieman L, Rubinow DR. Effects of gonadal steroids in women with a history of postpartum depression. Am J Psychiatry 2000; 157: 924–30
21. Schmidt PJ, Nieman L, Danaceau MA,, et al Estrogen replacement in perimenopause-related depression: a preliminary report. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000; 183: 414–20
22. Soares CN, Almeida OP, Joffe H, Cohen LS. Efficacy of estradiol for the treatment of depressive disorders in perimenopausal women: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2001; 58: 529–34
23. Morrison MF, Kallan MJ, Ten Have T, Katz I, Tweedy K, Battistini M. Lack of efficacy of estradiol for depression in postmenopausal women: a randomized, controlled trial. Biol Psychiatry 2004; 55: 406–12
24. McIntyre RS, Konarski JZ, Grigoriadis S,, et al Hormone replacement therapy and antidepressant prescription patterns: a reciprocal relationship. CMAJ 2005; 172: 57–9
25. Soares CN, Joffe H, Viguera AC,, et al Paroxetine versus placebo for women in midlife after hormone therapy discontinuation. Am J Med 2008; 121: 159–62 e1
26. Stearns V, Beebe KL, Iyengar M, Dube E. Paroxetine controlled release in the treatment of menopausal hot flashes: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2003; 289: 2827–34
27. Evans ML, Pritts E, Vittinghoff E, McClish K, Morgan KS, Jaffe RB. Management of postmenopausal hot flushes with venlafaxine hydrochloride: a randomized, controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol 2005; 105: 161–6
28. Speroff L, Gass M, Constantine G, Olivier S. Efficacy and tolerability of desvenlafaxine succinate treatment for menopausal vasomotor symptoms: a randomized controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol 2008; 111: 77–87
29. Soares CN, Poitras JR, Prouty J, Alexander AB, Shifren JL, Cohen LS. Efficacy of citalopram as a monotherapy or as an adjunctive treatment to estrogen therapy for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with depression and vasomotor symptoms. J Clin Psychiatry 2003; 64: 473–9
30. Thase ME, Entsuah R, Cantillon M, Kornstein SG. Relative antidepressant efficacy of venlafaxine and SSRIs: sex-age interactions. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2005; 14: 609–16
31. Joffe H, Soares CN, Petrillo LF,, et al Treatment of depression and menopause-related symptoms with the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor duloxetine. J Clin Psychiatry 2007; 68: 943–50
32. Soares CN, Arsenio H, Joffe H, Bankier B, Cassano P, Petrillo LF,, et al Escitalopram versus ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone acetate for symptomatic peri- and postmenopausal women: impact on depression, vasomotor symptoms, sleep, and quality of life. Menopause 2006; 13: 780–6
33. Joffe H, Groninger H, Soares CN, Nonacs R, Cohen LS. An open-trial of mirtazapine in menopausal women with depression unresponsive to estrogen replacement therapy. J Womens Health Gend Based Med 2001; 10: 999–1004
34. Cheema D, Coomarasamy A, El-Toukhy T. Non-hormonal therapy of post-menopausal vasomotor symptoms: a structured evidence-based review. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2007; 276: 463–9
35. Osmers R, Friede M, Liske E, Schnitker J, Freudenstein J, Henneicke-von Zepelin HH. Efficacy and safety of isopropanolic black cohosh extract for climacteric symptoms. Obstet Gynecol 2005; 105: 1074–83
36. Wuttke W, Seidlova-Wuttke D, Gorkow C. The Cimicifuga preparation BNO 1055 versus conjugated estrogens in a double-blind placebo-controlled study: effects on menopause symptoms and bone markers. Maturitas 2003; 44: S67–S77
37. Nelson HD, Vesco KK, Haney E,, et al Nonhormonal therapies for menopausal hot flashes: systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA 2006; 295: 2057–71
38. Uebelhack R, Blohmer JU, Graubaum HJ, Busch R, Gruenwald J, Wernecke KD. Black cohosh and St. John's wort for climacteric complaints: a randomized trial. Obstet Gynecol 2006; 107: 247–55
39. Grube B, Walper A, Wheatley D. St John's Wort extract: efficacy for menopausal symptoms of psychological origin. Adv Ther 1999; 16: 177–86
40. Geller SE, Studee L. Botanical and dietary supplements for mood and anxiety in menopausal women. Menopause 2007; 14: 541–9
41. Burger HG. The endocrinology of the menopause. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 1999; 69: 31–35
42. Lasiuk GC, Hegadoren KM. The effects of estradiol on central serotonergic systems and its relationship to mood in women. Biol Res Nurs 2007; 9: 147–60
43. McEwen BS, Alves SE. Estrogen actions in the central nervous system. Endocr Rev 1999; 20: 279–307
44. Bethea CL, Lu NZ, Gundlah C, Streicher JM. Diverse actions of ovarian steroids in the serotonin neural system. Front Neuroendocrinol 2002; 23: 41–100
45. Amin Z, Canli T, Epperson CN. Effect of estrogen-serotonin interactions on mood and cognition. Behav Cogn Neurosci Rev 2005; 4: 43–58
46. Halbreich U, Rojansky N, Palter S, Tworek H, Hissin P, Wang K. Estrogen augments serotonergic activity in postmenopausal women. Biol Psychiatry 1995; 37: 434–41
47. van Amelsvoort TA, Abel KM, Robertson DM,, et al Prolactin response to d-fenfluramine in postmenopausal women on and off ERT: comparison with young women. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2001; 26: 493–502
48. Behl C. Oestrogen as a neuroprotective hormone. Nat Rev Neurosci 2002; 3: 433–42
49. McEwen B. Estrogen actions throughout the brain. Recent Prog Horm Res 2002; 57: 357–84
50. Tanapat P, Hastings NB, Gould E. Ovarian steroids influence cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus of the adult female rat in a dose- and time-dependent manner. J Comp Neurol 2005; 481: 252–65
51. Toran-Allerand CD. Estrogen and the brain: beyond ER-alpha and ER-beta. Exp Gerontol 2004; 39: 1579–86
52. Begliuomini S, Casarosa E, Pluchino N,, et al Influence of endogenous and exogenous sex hormones on plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Hum Reprod 2007; 22: 995–1002
53. Martinowich K, Lu B. Interaction between BDNF and serotonin: role in mood disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2008; 33: 73–83
54. Moses EL, Drevets WC, Smith G,, et al Effects of estradiol and progesterone administration on human serotonin 2A receptor binding: a PET study. Biol Psychiatry 2000; 48: 854–60
55. Kugaya A, Epperson CN, Zoghbi S,, et al Increase in prefrontal cortex serotonin 2A receptors following estrogen treatment in postmenopausal women. Am J Psychiatry 2003; 160: 1522–4
56. Moses-Kolko EL, Berga SL, Greer PJ, Smith G, Cidis Meltzer C, Drevets WC. Widespread increases of cortical serotonin type 2A receptor availability after hormone therapy in euthymic postmenopausal women. Fertil Steril 2003; 80: 554–9
57. Compton J, Travis MJ, Norbury R,, et al Long-term estrogen therapy and 5-HT(2A) receptor binding in postmenopausal women; a single photon emission tomography (SPET) study. Horm Behav 2008; 53: 61–68
58. Campbell S, Macqueen G. The role of the hippocampus in the pathophysiology of major depression. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2004; 29: 417–26
59. Videbech P, Ravnkilde B. Hippocampal volume and depression: a meta-analysis of MRI studies. Am J Psychiatry 2004; 161: 1957–66
60. Eberling JL, Wu C, Haan MN, Mungas D, Buonocore M, Jagust WJ. Preliminary evidence that estrogen protects against age-related hippocampal atrophy. Neurobiol Aging 2003; 24: 725–32
61. Lord C, Buss C, Lupien SJ, Pruessner JC. Hippocampal volumes are larger in postmenopausal women using estrogen therapy compared to past users, never users and men: a possible window of opportunity effect. Neurobiol Aging 2008; 29: 95–101
62. Maki PM, Resnick SM. Longitudinal effects of estrogen replacement therapy on PET cerebral blood flow and cognition. Neurobiol Aging 2000; 21: 373–83
63. Amin Z, Epperson CN, Constable RT, Canli T. Effects of estrogen variation on neural correlates of emotional response inhibition. Neuroimage 2006; 32: 457–64
64. Goldstein JM, Jerram M, Poldrack R,, et al Hormonal cycle modulates arousal circuitry in women using functional magnetic resonance imaging. J Neurosci 2005; 25: 9309–16
65. Caspi A, Sugden K, Moffitt TE,, et al Influence of life stress on depression: moderation by a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene. Science 2003; 301: 386–9
66. Kok HS, van Asselt KM, van der Schouw YT, Peeters PH, Wijmenga C. Genetic studies to identify genes underlying menopausal age. Hum Reprod Update 2005; 11: 483–93
67. Soares CN. Depression during the menopausal transition: window of vulnerability or continuum of risk? Menopause 2008; 15: 207–9
68. Soares CN. Menopausal transition and depression: who is at risk and how to treat it? Expert Rev Neurother 2007; 7: 1285–93