---
title: Do thinking and mood symptoms change across the menstrual cycle?
description: Yes. Women report worse concentration, mood, pain, and water retention before and during their period. Patterns vary between individuals.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/cognitive-changes-during-the-menstrual-cycle-1980/
---

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- Do thinking and mood symptoms change across the menstrual cycle?

Survey study, 1980

# Do thinking and mood symptoms change across the menstrual cycle?

Yes. Women report worse concentration, mood, pain, and water retention before and during their period. Patterns vary between individuals.

 Moderate study design

65 women volunteers (mostly non-student group), screened for medication use

## What they did

65 women (mostly non-student group) filled out questionnaires weekly for one month to track symptoms across their menstrual cycle.

## What they found

Concentration disturbances, negative affect, pain, and water retention were reported as higher premenstrually and menstrually. Women with high premenstrual temporal disorganization had worse concentration, behavioral change, negative affect, and pain premenstrually. Women with low premenstrual temporal disorganization had their worst symptoms during menstruation.

## What it means for you

Both cognitive symptoms (concentration) and mood worsen in the premenstrual and menstrual phases, but the pattern varies between women. This 1980 study shows what women reported at that time, and the questionnaires used may have limits by today's standards.

65

women studied

one month

tracking period

four

symptoms rated higher premenstrually

## About the study

Original title Cognitive changes during the menstrual cycle Authors Kirstein L, Rosenberg B, Smith H Journal International journal of psychiatry in medicine Year 1980 Study design Survey study What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.2190/4k4f-gp08-xgdf-k13a](https://doi.org/10.2190/4k4f-gp08-xgdf-k13a)

## Topics

[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)

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

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What menstrual cycle symptoms do people experience and how much do they interfere with daily life?

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Do menstrual problems and poor sleep affect mood and thinking in teenage girls?

Study, 2025

Do women have different symptom patterns before, during, and after menopause?

Cohort study, 2025

Do pain sensitivity and negative thinking explain how trauma and stress cause PMS or PMDD?

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