Abstract
Dusser de Barenne and Gibbs 1 in 1942 presented evidence to indicate that the E.E.G. was modified during the menstrual cycle. Gibbs and Reid 2 (1942) demonstrated that in the last weeks of pregnancy the electrical activity of the cortex was definitely slowed compared to postpartum E.E.G. records. Since it is well known that in both menstruation and pregnancy marked changes occur in the blood levels of follicular and corpus luteum hormones, it was decided to determine whether E.E.G. changes could be produced by the administration of stilbesterol and progesterone to women in the menopause.
In order that neither the changes during the menstrual cycle nor during pregnancy might interfere with the electrical activity of the cortex three women in the menopause were chosen for study. All three were patients in the Boston Psychopathic Hospital suffering from agitated depressions of moderate severity. None of the patients complained of menopausal symptoms.
Daily E.E.G.'s were obtained with the aid of a Grass six-channel instrument throughout the period the hormones were given. The electrodes were applied to the frontal, motor, and occipital leads bilaterally and referred to indifferent interconnected ear leads. Before the administration of a hormone preparation E.E.G.'s were obtained from each patient during a control period of 7-14 days.
Case 1 was a 53-year-old patient who passed through menopause about 12 years ago. She received increasing doses of stilbesterol by mouth varying from .25 to 10 mg daily for 53 days. During the last 10 days of this 53-day period intramuscular injections of progesterone (10 mg in 1 cc ampules) were administered daily. The administration of the hormones was discontinued because the patient began to menstruate.
Case 2 was a 49-year-old patient who had not menstruated for 7 months.
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