There appears to be more and more conditions being linked to specific genes or groups of genes, and why should premenstrual depression be any different?

The condition that depresses millions of women in their child-bearing years, known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) causes severe irritability and bouts of major depression during the second half of each menstrual cycle.

But now, that condition is thought to be brought on by a specific genetic arrangement instead of hormonal changes throughout the cycle. The research team which looked at PMDD causes determined that four specific gene variants in the estrogen receptor alpha gene were more common in PMDD women.