--- title: Does reaction time change during the menstrual cycle? | Niyora description: Reaction time was slower during the luteal phase compared to other cycle phases, but the difference was very small and not clearly seen. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/choice-reaction-time-in-different-phases-of-the-menstrual-cycle-in-healthy-2023/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does reaction time change during the menstrual cycle? Survey study, 2023 # Does reaction time change during the menstrual cycle? Reaction time was slower during the luteal phase compared to other cycle phases, but the difference was very small and not clearly seen. Early or limited evidence 50 healthy women aged 18-25 with regular menstrual cycles in India ## What they did Cross-sectional observational study of 50 healthy women aged 18-25 with regular menstrual cycles in India. They measured how quickly women reacted to visual and auditory signals at four cycle phases: 2 days before menstruation, day 2 of menstruation, day 8 (follicular phase), and day 18 (luteal phase). ## What they found Both visual and auditory reaction time were slower during the luteal phase compared to the premenstrual, menstrual, and follicular phases. However, these differences were very small and not clearly seen. ## What it means for you Reaction time may be slightly slower during the luteal phase when many women experience premenstrual symptoms, but this study did not find a clear difference. This is a small study with 50 women from one location in India, so we cannot be confident in the findings. 50 women studied 18-25 years age range 4 cycle phases measured ## About the study Original title Choice Reaction Time in Different Phases of the Menstrual Cycle in Healthy Females: A Cross-sectional Study Authors Parikshit Ashok Muley, Pranjali Parikshit Muley, Purva D Lanjekar et al. Journal JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH Year 2023 Study design Survey study Participants 50 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.7860/jcdr/2023/65305.18753](https://doi.org/10.7860/jcdr/2023/65305.18753) ## Topics [Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/) 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 Systematic review, 2026 Do brain wave patterns change across the menstrual cycle? Systematic review, 2026 Can digital tools help diagnose PMDD? Systematic review, 2025 How do cognition and behavior change across the menstrual cycle in people with PMDD? Systematic review, 2025 Does how well women think change throughout their menstrual cycle? Randomised trial, 2025 Does the menstrual cycle phase affect how much alcohol impairs women's memory? Randomised trial, 2024 Does estradiol prevent thinking problems before the period in women with suicidal thoughts? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗