Progesterone Reduces Wakefulness in Sleep EEG and Has no Effect on Cognition in Healthy Postmenopausal Women

Summary

Sleep is impaired in postmenopausal women (difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings). Progesterone prompted benzodiazepine-like effects on sleep EEG in young normal male subjects. Aim of this study was to test if replacement therapy with progesterone improves sleep after menopause. Design, Setting, and Participants: A double blind cross-over design study with 2 treatment intervals of 21 days duration separated by a 2 weeks washout was performed. A oral dose of 300mg micronized progesterone was given each for 21 days. At the beginning and the end of the two intervals a sleep EEG was recorded and cognitive performance was assessed in 10 healthy postmenopausal women (age: 54-70 yrs).

Timeline

Start

2003-11

Primary completion

—

Completion

2004-07

Publications

• Background Dzaja A, Arber S, Hislop J, Kerkhofs M, Kopp C, Pollmacher T, Polo-Kantola P, Skene DJ, Stenuit P, Tobler I, Porkka-Heiskanen T. Women's sleep in health and disease. J Psychiatr Res. 2005 Jan;39(1):55-76. Ehlers CL, Kupfer DJ. Slow-wave sleep: do young adult men and women age differently? J Sleep Res. 1997 Sep;6(3):211-5. Friess E, Tagaya H, Trachsel L, Holsboer F, Rupprecht R. Progesterone-induced changes in sleep in male subjects. American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology & Metabolism 1997; 272:E885-E891. Grön G, Friess E, Herpers M, Rupprecht R. Assessment of cognitive performance after progesterone administration in healthy male volunteers. Biol Psychiatry 1997; 35:147-151. Heuser G, Ling GM, Kluver M. Sleep induction by progesterone in the pre-optic area in cats. Electroencephalography & Clinical Neurophysiology 1966; 22:122-127. Lancel M, Faulhaber J, Schiffelholz T, Romeo E, Di Michele F, Holsboer F, Rupprecht R. Allopregnanolone affects sleep in a benzodiazepine-like fashion. Journal of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics 1997; 282(3):1213-1218. Montplaisir J, Lorrain J, Denesle R, Petit D. Sleep in menopause: differential effects of two forms of hormone replacement therapy. Menopause 2001;10-16. Steiger A, Trachsel L, Guldner J, Hemmeter U, Rothe B, Rupprecht R, Vedder H, Holsboer F. Neurosteroid pregnenolone induces sleep-EEG changes in man compatible with inverse agonistic GABAA-receptor modulation. Brain Research 1993; 615:267-274.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.