Reproductive Psychiatry Research Program

Reproductive Psychiatry Research Program (RPRP)

The University of Virginia’s Reproductive Psychiatry Research Program (RPRP) is a collection of research studies headed by Dr. Jennifer L. Payne, MD. The goals of these studies are to understand the genetic, biological, and psychological underpinnings of reproductive-related mood disorders.

Research findings related to these mechanisms may lead to a greater understanding of the pathophysiology of mood disorders in general, and lead to better practices supporting the health of both mothers and their newborn children.

For more information about the RPRP and our current research studies, please visit the links to the right.

In the News

New Results from a Study Dr. Payne Conducted with Flo Health Reveals More Than Half of Young Women Suffer with Menopause Symptoms

Dr. Payne’s recent study with Flo Health, Inc., the developers of the Flo women’s health app, examined the “perimenopause” period, a transition period leading to menopause.

The study surveyed 4,400 American women ages 30 and older and had them self-report symptomology on the widely used Menopause Rating Scale (MSR). It was found that 55.4% of women aged 30 to 35 reported symptoms that met the “moderate” or “severe” criteria on the MSR. In women 36 to 40, this increased to 64.3%.

It was also shown that psychological symptoms, like anxiety, depression, and irritability, started materializing much sooner than physical symptoms, like hot flashes and sweating, bladder issues, and sexual problems. Psychological symptoms reached their highest point among women 41 to 45 years old and fell to their lowest prevalence at in women 56 and older. In contrast, the more classically known physical symptoms didn’t reach their peak until age 51, with the lowest prevalence of these symptoms occurring among women ages 30 to 35.

Many women believe they are too young to be suffering from menopause related symptoms, leading them to suffer in silence, with most women not seeking treatment for menopause symptoms until they are 56 or older. The researchers hope this study can shed more light on and fill the alarming gap in our understanding of perimenopause, improving treatment and support of women approaching menopause.

To read the full study, CLICK HERE!

Check out UVA’s Medicine in Motion report of the study HERE.

Results from New Study by Dr. Jennifer Payne and Dr. Lauren Osborne Could Lead to a Clinical Test to Predict Postpartum Depression

A recent study led by Dr. Payne and Weill Cornell Medicine’s Dr. Lauren Osborne could lead to a blood test to identify women at risk of developing postpartum depression.

The study focused on the hormone progesterone as well as certain molecules, called neuroactive steroids, derived from progesterone. The researchers focused on looking at levels of two neuroactive steroids (pregnanolone and isoallopregnanolone), which seem to affect the risk of developing postpartum depression.

Pregnanolone’s function is to reduce stress when it is binded to a certain cellular receptor. Isoallopregnanolone, on the other hand, increases stress when it acts on this same receptor.

It was found that the 33 women in the study who developed postpartum depression had a lower pregnanolone to progesterone ratio and a higher isoallopregnanolone to progesterone ratio compared to the 103 women who did not develop postpartum depression. Additionally, elevated progesterone levels were also associated with higher risk of postpartum depression.

What’s Next?

Drs. Payne and Osborne are currently preparing a study that will attempt to replicate these results in a larger and more diverse group of women, with the hope of developing a clinical blood test to predict risk of postpartum depression. Further, this work could lead to preventative treatment for postpartum depression – possibly with brexanolone or zuranolone, two prescription drugs that are already currently available to treat postpartum depression.

Watch the video below to listen to Dr. Payne talk about this research or click HERE to read more about it!