Perimenstrual Symptoms and Emotional Dysregulation in Autism

NCT ID: NCT06871345

Last Updated: 2025-03-11

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

70 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-03-01

Study Completion Date

2028-09-01

Brief Summary

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Emotional dysregulation (ED) is defined as difficulties in modulating the experience and expression of emotions, which are characterized by a particularly marked reactivity, intensity and duration.

In order to improve the understanding of ED, its consequences in autistic women, and to be able to offer them appropriate treatments, it seems crucial to investigate the links between ED, adversities experienced during childhood and premenstrual dysphoric symptoms.

This study aims to characterize the variability of ED along a menstrual cycle by measuring it in a real-life ecological context. The variability of ED will be compared to that of women with borderline personality disorder BPD and that of women without psychiatric disorders.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Autism Spectrum Disorder Borderline Personality Disorder BPD

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NON_RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Healthy voluntary group

20 menstruating women with a regular menstrual cycle that lasts between 25 and 35 days, not using hormonal contraception and without a psychiatric and/or neurological diagnosis.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Semi-structured interviews SCID

Intervention Type OTHER

Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorder (SCID) :

The SCID is a 90-item semi-structured interview, covering all 10 categories of personality disorder as described in the DSM-5. Each item is rated on a three-point scale: "absent", "subclinical level" and "present".

Self-report questionnaires

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants will complete a battery of self-report questionnaires, assessing emotional dysregulation (including SRD, the primary endpoint), childhood adversity, anxiety, depression, and premenstrual symptoms.

Cognitive assessment

Intervention Type OTHER

Cognitive assessment, coupled with the recording of physiological parameters (Biopac).

Participants will complete a battery of neuropsychological tests targeting emotional processes. These tests will make it possible to evaluate the hot component of executive functioning, i.e. specifically involved in the processing of socio-emotional information. Autobiographical verbal fluences and the emotional Hayling test will be used to measure initiation and inhibition processes, respectively.

Momentary Ecological Assessment (EMA)

Intervention Type OTHER

A momentary ecological evaluation protocol will be proposed between visits V1 and V4 in order to assess the emotional and symptomatic dynamics in a context of daily life. During two menstrual cycles, subjects will be invited, via their smartphone, to take daily semi-random readings (indicated by SMS) of their subjective (4 times/day), but also spontaneous emotional experiences

Autism female patients group

20 female patients with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), according to DSM-5 criteria.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Semi-structured interviews SCID

Intervention Type OTHER

Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorder (SCID) :

The SCID is a 90-item semi-structured interview, covering all 10 categories of personality disorder as described in the DSM-5. Each item is rated on a three-point scale: "absent", "subclinical level" and "present".

Self-report questionnaires

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants will complete a battery of self-report questionnaires, assessing emotional dysregulation (including SRD, the primary endpoint), childhood adversity, anxiety, depression, and premenstrual symptoms.

Cognitive assessment

Intervention Type OTHER

Cognitive assessment, coupled with the recording of physiological parameters (Biopac).

Participants will complete a battery of neuropsychological tests targeting emotional processes. These tests will make it possible to evaluate the hot component of executive functioning, i.e. specifically involved in the processing of socio-emotional information. Autobiographical verbal fluences and the emotional Hayling test will be used to measure initiation and inhibition processes, respectively.

Momentary Ecological Assessment (EMA)

Intervention Type OTHER

A momentary ecological evaluation protocol will be proposed between visits V1 and V4 in order to assess the emotional and symptomatic dynamics in a context of daily life. During two menstrual cycles, subjects will be invited, via their smartphone, to take daily semi-random readings (indicated by SMS) of their subjective (4 times/day), but also spontaneous emotional experiences

Group of female patients with BPD

20 female patients with a diagnosis of BPD, according to DSM-5 criteria.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Semi-structured interviews SCID

Intervention Type OTHER

Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorder (SCID) :

The SCID is a 90-item semi-structured interview, covering all 10 categories of personality disorder as described in the DSM-5. Each item is rated on a three-point scale: "absent", "subclinical level" and "present".

Self-report questionnaires

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants will complete a battery of self-report questionnaires, assessing emotional dysregulation (including SRD, the primary endpoint), childhood adversity, anxiety, depression, and premenstrual symptoms.

Cognitive assessment

Intervention Type OTHER

Cognitive assessment, coupled with the recording of physiological parameters (Biopac).

Participants will complete a battery of neuropsychological tests targeting emotional processes. These tests will make it possible to evaluate the hot component of executive functioning, i.e. specifically involved in the processing of socio-emotional information. Autobiographical verbal fluences and the emotional Hayling test will be used to measure initiation and inhibition processes, respectively.

Momentary Ecological Assessment (EMA)

Intervention Type OTHER

A momentary ecological evaluation protocol will be proposed between visits V1 and V4 in order to assess the emotional and symptomatic dynamics in a context of daily life. During two menstrual cycles, subjects will be invited, via their smartphone, to take daily semi-random readings (indicated by SMS) of their subjective (4 times/day), but also spontaneous emotional experiences

Interventions

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Semi-structured interviews SCID

Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorder (SCID) :

The SCID is a 90-item semi-structured interview, covering all 10 categories of personality disorder as described in the DSM-5. Each item is rated on a three-point scale: "absent", "subclinical level" and "present".

Intervention Type OTHER

Self-report questionnaires

Participants will complete a battery of self-report questionnaires, assessing emotional dysregulation (including SRD, the primary endpoint), childhood adversity, anxiety, depression, and premenstrual symptoms.

Intervention Type OTHER

Cognitive assessment

Cognitive assessment, coupled with the recording of physiological parameters (Biopac).

Participants will complete a battery of neuropsychological tests targeting emotional processes. These tests will make it possible to evaluate the hot component of executive functioning, i.e. specifically involved in the processing of socio-emotional information. Autobiographical verbal fluences and the emotional Hayling test will be used to measure initiation and inhibition processes, respectively.

Intervention Type OTHER

Momentary Ecological Assessment (EMA)

A momentary ecological evaluation protocol will be proposed between visits V1 and V4 in order to assess the emotional and symptomatic dynamics in a context of daily life. During two menstrual cycles, subjects will be invited, via their smartphone, to take daily semi-random readings (indicated by SMS) of their subjective (4 times/day), but also spontaneous emotional experiences

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Female aged 18 to 45;
* Woman with regular menstrual cycles (variations in duration, measured between the shortest menstrual cycle) and the longest cycle, remain strictly less than 7 days) between 25 and 35 days;
* Woman without hormonal contraception (or NON-hormonal copper IUD) or who has stopped contraception for more than 3 months (and does not wish to take it again);
* Woman with a smartphone with an internet connection;
* Woman able to understand the objectives and risks of the research and to give informed, dated and signed consent;
* Woman affiliated to a social protection health insurance scheme, beneficiary or beneficiary.


* Patient with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder without intellectual disability (ASD), according to the criteria of the DSM-5 OR
* Patient with a diagnosis of BPD, according to DSM-5 criteria


* Taking hormonal treatment or synthetic steroids;
* Woman using hormonal contraceptives (pill, patch, hormonal IUD, vaginal ring, implant, intramuscular injection);
* Pregnancy or breastfeeding on the declaration of the person for less than 3 months;
* Desire to become pregnant within 3 months of inclusion;
* Endocrinopathies (in particular clinical signs of hyperandrogenism) or untreated gynaecological pathologies that may influence menstrual cycles and/or ovulation;
* Participation in another study that may interfere with the study;
* Inability to give the person informed information (person in an emergency or life-threatening situation);
* Woman under judicial protection;
* Woman under guardianship or curatorship;
* Woman hospitalized for a period \> 24 hours


* Patient with a diagnosis of psychotic disorder;
* Patient with a diagnosis of severe substance use disorder, i.e., presence of 6 or more symptoms;
* Patient with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder type I or II or cyclothymia;
* Patient with a diagnosis of co-occurring ASD and BPD;
* Patient with an intellectual disability (IQ ≤ 70);
* Patient with neurological comorbidity (e.g., acquired brain injury);
* Patient on treatment that alters physiological response (heart rhythm, e.g., beta-blockers).


* Woman with a psychiatric, neurodevelopmental or neurological history;
* Woman on psychotropic therapy or treatment that modifies physiological parameters (e.g., beta-blockers).
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

45 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University Hospital, Strasbourg, France

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Luisa WEINER, Professor

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Department of Psychiatry II Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction Medicine, University Hospitals of Strasbourg

Central Contacts

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Luisa WEINER, Professor

Role: CONTACT

0388116511

Other Identifiers

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2024-A02269-38

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

9499

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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