Mood disorders and the menstrual cycle.

Since the premenstrual syndromes characteristically present with mood, cognitive and behavioral disturbances, a special relationship between psychiatric disorders and the premenstrual syndromes has been postulated. With a series of questions we attempted to clarify the nature of the relationship between the menstrual cycle and mood and behavior, and we specifically addressed the similarities and differences between the premenstrual syndromes and formal psychiatric disorders. The premenstrual syndromes may serve as a biobehavioral model for the investigation of the biologic contributors to mood state regulation.