A suspected culprit in anxiety

A host of conditions relating to anxiety, from the endocrine changes linked to Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), to the withdrawal from chronic alcohol abuse known as Delerium Tremens (DT), all may be related, according to research reported by scientists at the Allegheny University of the Health Sciences (Philadelphia, Penn.).

The culprit in these states is a breakdown product of progesterone, and the molecular site of action, a possible new therapeutic target, is part of the receptor for the neurotransmitter GABA...