--- title: Are there differences in spontaneous brain activity between women with PMS and healthy women? description: Women with PMS show abnormal patterns of brain activity during the luteal phase, with overactivity in some regions and underactivity in others. These differen url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/altered-fractional-amplitude-of-low-frequency-fluctuation-in-premenstrual-2017/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Are there differences in spontaneous brain activity between women with PMS and healthy women? Cohort study, 2017 # Are there differences in spontaneous brain activity between women with PMS and healthy women? Women with PMS show abnormal patterns of brain activity during the luteal phase, with overactivity in some regions and underactivity in others. These differences correlate with symptom severity, suggesting altered brain function is involved in PMS. Early or limited evidence 20 women with PMS and 21 healthy controls (young women) ## What they did Brain imaging study comparing 20 women with PMS to 21 healthy controls during the luteal phase. Participants had resting-state brain MRI scans measuring spontaneous activity across the whole brain. All women completed a symptom severity questionnaire. ## What they found Women with PMS had increased activity in the precuneus (an area involved in self-reflection), left hippocampus, and left inferior temporal cortex. They had decreased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (involved in mood and emotion) and cerebellum. PMS symptom severity was negatively correlated with anterior cingulate activity and positively correlated with precuneus activity. ## What it means for you Brain activity patterns differ between women with and without PMS in regions involved in emotion, mood, and self-reflection. This is a small study in young women only, measured at one time point, so the findings need to be confirmed. We cannot tell if these brain differences cause PMS or result from it. 20 PMS patients studied 21 healthy controls studied 3 brain areas with increased activity ## About the study Original title Altered fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation in premenstrual syndrome: A resting state fMRI study Authors Liao H, Duan G, Liu P et al. Journal Journal of affective disorders Year 2017 Study design Cohort study Participants 20 What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.04.045](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.04.045) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Cohort study, 2026 What genetic factors are linked to premenstrual symptoms? Systematic review, 2026 How often do mood disorders and PMS or PMDD occur together? Systematic review, 2026 Does vitamin D supplementation help PMS symptoms? Study, 2026 How do women with PMDD process emotions differently in their brains? Systematic review, 2026 Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle? Systematic review, 2026 How much of PMDD treatment improvement comes from placebo effect? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗