When
Earn your CME credit by registering today’s attendance (provided when the presentation is live) in your College of Medicine - Tucson CME account. If you do not have an account, register for free here.
Allopregnanolone: Mechanisms, Postpartum Effects and Potential Clinical Implications in Substance Withdrawal and Trauma
Mary Kay Durfee, MD
Addiction Medicine Fellow
Learning Objectives:
- Describe allopregnanolone as the maternal neurosteroid that helps calm brain activity, quiet stress signals and reduce inflammation during pregnancy and postpartum.
- Explain how the sharp postpartum drop in allopregnanolone can worsen withdrawal symptoms and contribute to anxiety in women with substance use disorders.
- Identify shared mechanisms linking perinatal neurosteroid withdrawal, substance withdrawal, anxiety, trauma and traumatic brain injury.
- Discuss the approved clinical use of allopregnanolone-based therapies in postpartum depression and the emerging rationale for potential applications in withdrawal complicated by trauma or TBI.
Accessibility for All
We are happy to help make these presentations accessible to everone. If you need an accessibility accommodation, such as a sign language interpreter, please reach out to Jamie at jlmanser@arizona.edu or 520-874-4148. We kindly ask for notification as early as possible to ensure we can best assist. Thank you for your interest in our presentations.
The educational objective of Psychiatry Grand Rounds is to provide mental health professionals with updates on psychiatric topics, with the goals of increasing knowledge, competence and patient care. Psychiatry Grand Rounds are held on Wednesdays, September through May, from noon to 1 p.m.
Accreditation Statement:
The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Relevant Financial Relationships Statement(s):
The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson Office of Continuing Medical Education adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity, including faculty, planners, reviewers or others, are required to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). The CME office reviewers have nothing to disclose. All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.
| Name | Individual's Role in Activity | Nature of Relationship(s) / Name of Ineligible Company(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan F. Karp, MD | Activity Director | Grant or research support-Janssen (Any division)|Advisor-AifredHealth (Relationship has ended)|Membership on Advisory Committees or Review Panels, Board Membership, etc.-Biogen (Relationship has ended)|AdvisorOtsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.|Advisor-Janssen (Any division) (Relationship has ended)|AdvisorOtsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (Relationship has ended) - 09/08/2025 |
| Derek Paul, MD | Planning Committee Member | Nothing to disclose - 10/24/2025 |
| Mary Kay Durfee, MD | Presenter | Nothing to disclose - 04/19/2026 |