--- title: How do cognition and behavior change across the menstrual cycle in people with PMDD? description: Evidence that cognitive abilities change is limited and inconsistent. A negative attention bias (focusing on negative things) appears central to PMDD. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/cognition-and-behaviour-across-the-menstrual-cycle-in-individuals-with-2025/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How do cognition and behavior change across the menstrual cycle in people with PMDD? Systematic review, 2025 # How do cognition and behavior change across the menstrual cycle in people with PMDD? Evidence that cognitive abilities change is limited and inconsistent. A negative attention bias (focusing on negative things) appears central to PMDD. Strong study design 1222 people with and without PMDD (from 21 studies) ## What they did Systematic review of 21 studies that measured cognition or behavior at least twice during the menstrual cycle in people with and without PMDD. ## What they found The researchers extracted 94 outcome measures from 21 papers with 1222 total participants. Cognitive performance was most often tested but evidence of change with PMDD was limited and inconsistent. Studies exploring how people focus attention suggest that a negative attentional bias is central to the psychological experience of PMDD. ## What it means for you How we think and focus may matter more than basic cognitive abilities in understanding PMDD. The main limitation is that researchers could not combine results numerically because included studies did not report key data. 21 Studies reviewed 1222 Total participants 94 Outcome measures extracted ## About the study Original title Cognition and behaviour across the menstrual cycle in individuals with premenstrual dysphoric disorder - A systematic review Authors Henderson A, Gardani M, Dyker G et al. Journal Journal of affective disorders Year 2025 Study design Systematic review What was tested None (systematic review) Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.11.033](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.11.033) Original abstract Background: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a cyclical mood disorder whereby symptoms are triggered by normal hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle. A better understanding of psychological changes that occur with PMDD can inform non-pharmacological and non-invasive treatment interventions. Methods: A systematic review was conducted of quantitative studies that measured any aspect of cognition or behaviour at a minimum of two time points in the menstrual cycle in those with and without PMDD. A narrative synthesis is reported. Results: 94 outcome measures were extracted from 21 papers and a total participant sample of 1222. Risk of bias was noted in relation to lack of power analysis and inappropriate statistical methods. Cognitive performance was most often tested but evidence of change with PMDD was limited and inconsistent. Findings of studies exploring cognitive processes and content suggest that a negative attentional bias is central to the psychological experience of PMDD. Limitations: A quantitative synthesis could not be conducted due to limited reporting of key data. Conclusions: Cognitive process, content, and behaviour are likely to be more informative in understanding PMDD than absolute cognitive abilities. Future studies should aim to investigate such in real-time and within the context of daily living. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-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 Can digital tools help diagnose PMDD? Survey study, 2020 What symptoms best predict whether PMDD will seriously affect daily life? Survey study, 2018 Does the menstrual cycle affect emotions and thinking ability? Review, 2015 What do we know about PMS and PMDD and how are they treated? Systematic review, 2014 Do estrogen and progesterone change how the brain processes emotions and decisions? Review, 2013 What treatments work best for PMDD? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗