Clinical investigation of the menstrual cycle. II. Neuroendocrine investigation and therapy of the inadequate luteal phase.

Nonhormonal drugs--diphenylhydantoin and nialamide, which act on the central nervous system and have no known endocrine activity--were given to two groups of women with distinct types of electroencephalographic patterns in an effort to regulate menstrual disorders. Equalization of the lengths of both the follicular phase and the luteal phase to the normal range was observed during the drug therapy. Forty-five per cent of the pregnancy rate was achieved in 36 of the 80 infecund patients within 4 months of treatment. The mode of action of these drugs is still unknown.