Study, 2011
Does the premenstrual phase change how the brain responds to rewards?
Yes. Brain scans showed that the reward-processing part of the brain is more active during the premenstrual phase than during other times in the cycle, especially in women with more premenstrual symptoms.
What they did
Twenty-eight healthy young women had brain scans on two different days of their menstrual cycle: once during the late follicular phase and once during the premenstrual phase. While having the scans, they did a task involving anticipating money rewards.
What they found
A part of the brain involved in reward processing showed more activity during the premenstrual phase than during the follicular phase. This increase was strongest in women who reported more premenstrual symptoms. The hormone drop before your period appears to trigger a withdrawal-like change in the brain's reward system.
What it means for you
Changes in how the brain responds to rewards may explain why some women's motivation and behavior change before their period. This could help explain mood and behavior changes during the premenstrual phase. The study involved only 28 women and was done only once, so larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.
28
women in study
About the study
- Original title
- Changes in functioning of mesolimbic incentive processing circuits during the premenstrual phase
- Authors
- Ossewaarde L, van Wingen GA, Kooijman SC et al.
- Journal
- Social cognitive and affective neuroscience
- Year
- 2011
- Study design
- Study
- What was tested
- None - observational study using brain imaging
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsq071
Topics
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