Patent ID: 7899527

Claim:
A method of treating a female subject for a menopausal mood disorder or premenstrual mood disorder, said method comprising: modulating at least a portion of the autonomic nervous system of said subject during the luteal phase of the subject's menstrual cycle to increase the parasympathetic activity/sympathetic activity ratio in a manner effective to treat said subject for said menopausal mood disorder or premenstrual mood disorder, wherein said modulating comprises (a) applying electrical energy during the luteal phase of the subject's menstrual cycle to said at least one portion of said autonomic nervous system by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (“TENS”) or (b) administering an effective amount of at least one beta blocker to said subject during the luteal phase of the subject's menstrual cycle; so that said subject is treated for said menopausal mood disorder or premenstrual mood disorder, wherein said menopausal mood disorder or premenstrual mood disorder is caused by an abnormal decrease in said parasympathetic activity/sympathetic activity ratio during said luteal phase, and wherein said method further comprises determining said parasympathetic activity/sympathetic activity ratio at least one time during said luteal phase of said menstrual cycle.