Concentrations of neurosteroids may be influenced by some physiological or pathological factors. We investigated neuroactive steroids in the serum of women suffering from anxiety-depressive disorder treated with fluoxetine and in a control group, in both the follicular and the luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. Two groups of neuroactive steroids were measured by radioimmunoassays: 1) the positive allosteric modulator of GABA(A) receptors, allopregnanolone with its precursor progesterone and 2) pregnenolone sulfate and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) acting on GABA(A) receptors by an opposite mechanism. Significantly higher levels of pregnenolone sulfate (p < 0.0001) were found in patients in both phases of the menstrual cycle. Significantly higher values were recorded in pregnenolone (p < 0.001) and 17alpha-hydroxypregnenolone (p < 0.01) levels in the patients group in the follicular phase. Our results indicate that imbalance in neuroactive steroids may play a negative role in origin and course of psychiatric and neurological disorders.

reactions (Post-traumatic symptom scale-PTSS-10; State anxiety scale; Beck's helplessness scale and Scale of somatic symptoms). Factor analysis revealed the existence of five major coping styles: Optimism, Information-seeking, Confrontative coping, Escape-Avoidance and Hyperactivity. Several multiple regression analysis has been done with coping styles as predictors and posttraumatic symptoms, anxiety, helplessness and somatic symptoms, respectively, as dependent variables. Results: In all four regression analysis aforementioned set of predictors accounted between 17, 4% and 22, 6 % of variance in dependent variables. Among coping styles the most important predictor was the Confrontative coping. Escape-Avoidance plays some role in reducing anxiety and Optimism in reducing helplessness. Conclusions: Confrontative coping (loss of control and acting out) has strong and systematic influence on intensity of traumatic reactions.