The American Journal of Medicine
Volume 118, Issue 12, Supplement 2 , Pages 124-130 , 19 December 2005

Hot flashes: behavioral treatments, mechanisms, and relation to sleep

  • Robert R. Freedman, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests should be addressed to Robert R. Freedman, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences and Department Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, C. S. Mott Center, 275 East Hancock Street, Detroit, Michigan 48201.

  • Image Result

    Peripheral physiologic events of the hot flash, based on 29 hot flashes in 14 women. (Adapted from Fertil Steril.8)

    Peripheral physiologic events of the hot flash, based on 29 hot flashes in 14 women. (Adapted from Fertil Steril.8)

  • Image Result

    Small core body temperature (Tc) elevations acting within a reduced thermoneutral zone trigger hot flashes (HFs) in symptomatic postmenopausal women. The thermoneutral zone is narrowed in symptomatic

    Small core body temperature (Tc) elevations acting within a reduced thermoneutral zone trigger hot flashes (HFs) in symptomatic postmenopausal women. The thermoneutral zone is narrowed in symptomatic women (with HF) compared with asymptomatic women (non-HF). Elevated brain norepinephrine (NE) in animals reduces this zone. Yohimbine (YOH) elevates brain NE and should reduce the zone. Conversely, clonidine should widen it. 5-HT = serotonin; MHPG = 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (the primary NE metabolite); SSRI = serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitor.

 The opinions offered at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) State-of-the Science Conference on Management of Menopause-Related Symptoms and published herein are not necessarily those of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the Office of Medical Applications of Research (OMAR) or any of the cosponsoring institutes, offices, or centers of the NIH. Although the NIA and OMAR organized this meeting, this article is not intended as a statement of Federal guidelines or policy.Publication of the online supplement was made possible by funding from the NIA and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the NIH, US Department of Health & Human Services.Research conducted by Dr. Freedman was supported by MERIT Award No. R37-AG05233 and by Grant No. MH-63089 from the National Institutes of Health.

PII: S0002-9343(05)00904-6

doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2005.09.046

The American Journal of Medicine
Volume 118, Issue 12, Supplement 2 , Pages 124-130 , 19 December 2005

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