218. Characterizing the Neural Substrates of Irritability in Women: A 7T fMRI Study

Irritability is a prominent symptom of perinatal depression (PND). Previous research has validated the experimental manipulation of reproductive hormones to mimic the perinatal period in non-pregnant, euthymic women and to distinguish between hormone-sensitive (HS+) and non-hormone-sensitive (HS-) women. To determine how female reproductive hormones regulate neural dysfunction that leads to irritability in PND, we conducted an experimental hormone manipulation and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study in HS+ females and controls.