Monthly mood and emotion regulation changes linked to alcohol misuse in premenopausal women
Cyclical deficits in emotion regulation as a risk factor for alcohol misuse in premenopausal females
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · NIH-11327304
This project looks at whether monthly mood swings and changes in heart-rate patterns make premenopausal women more likely to misuse alcohol.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11327304 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will follow you through several menstrual cycles and ask you to report daily mood and drinking patterns while you wear a small sensor that measures heart-rate variability (a marker of emotional regulation). They will determine who has clinically significant premenstrual mood symptoms (dPMDD) and compare your patterns to those of women without these symptoms. By combining daily reports with physiological data, the team aims to see whether times of worse emotion regulation line up with increased alcohol use. The approach uses noninvasive monitoring, brief surveys, and periodic clinic visits.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Premenopausal women who drink alcohol and are willing to track daily symptoms and alcohol use and wear a heart-rate monitor across menstrual cycles, especially those who notice premenstrual mood changes.
Not a fit: Women who are postmenopausal, do not have menstrual cycles, or do not drink alcohol would not be expected to benefit directly from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help pinpoint high-risk times in the cycle and guide targeted prevention or support to reduce alcohol misuse in premenopausal women.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work has linked lower heart-rate variability and premenstrual mood symptoms with alcohol use, but combining daily physiological monitoring across cycles to predict drinking is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — Los Angeles, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: PANG, RAINA — UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- Study coordinator: PANG, RAINA
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions: Affective Disorders