ESTROGEN AND D-AMPHETAMINE IN WOMEN

University Of Chicago, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

The purpose of the proposed studies is to investigate the role of estrogen on mood and behavior in normal healthy menstruating women. One goal is to investigate the mood-altering and behavioral effects of varying concentrations of estrogen, first as a result of normal physiological fluctuations that occur naturally across the menstrual cycle, and second as a result of exogenous administration of single doses of transdermal estrogen. The second goal is to investigate interactions between estrogen and a stimulant drug, d- amphetamine. This combination will be studied both during the course of the normal cycle, and after exogenous administration of both estrogen and amphetamine. It is hypothesized that estrogen will produce mood-enhancing effects, and that the effects of d- amphetamine will be greater in the presence of higher levels of estrogen. These interactions are expected because both estrogen and d-amphetamine enhance activity of the dopaminergic system in the brain.