Lab study, 1983
Does the premenstrual phase change how the nervous system reacts to stress?
No clear difference was found in how the nervous system reacted during the premenstrual phase compared to after menstruation.
What they did
Researchers tested 40 women twice: once premenstrually and once after menstruation. They measured nervous system responses to stress using a cold water test and mental math. They also measured how quickly the body learned a response to sound and had women rate their mood.
What they found
None of the differences between the premenstrual and post-menstrual phases were significant. Nervous system reactivity decreased from the first to the second testing session regardless of which phase of the cycle it was. Mood ratings and stimulus ratings were also similar between phases.
What it means for you
The premenstrual phase does not appear to change how your nervous system reacts to stress. The decrease in reactivity from first to second test was due to getting used to the test, not to the menstrual cycle. The study was small.
40
women studied
2
testing sessions per woman
About the study
- Original title
- Autonomic reactivity in the premenstrual phase
- Authors
- Strauss B, Schultheiss M, Cohen R
- Journal
- The British journal of clinical psychology
- Year
- 1983
- Study design
- Lab study
- Participants
- 40
- What was tested
- Stress tests including cold water exposure, mental arithmetic, and auditory conditioning
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8260.1983.tb00573.x
Topics
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