Case-control study, 2022
Does cognitive function decline in women with PMS, and can brain imaging detect it?
Women with PMS showed significantly lower correct responses on harder cognitive tasks and reduced brain activation during the luteal phase compared to women without PMS, which could be detected with brain imaging. The decline was linked to worsening mood.
What they did
Researchers tested 11 women with PMS and 11 without PMS, all aged 20-25, twice during their menstrual cycle (once during the follicular phase and once during the luteal phase). During each test, participants performed cognitive tasks of varying difficulty while researchers measured brain activity in the prefrontal cortex using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).
What they found
Women with PMS had significantly lower correct response rates on the most challenging 2-back task in both the follicular phase (P=0.01) and luteal phase (P=0.02) compared to controls. During the luteal phase, brain activation was significantly lower in the PMS group (P=0.04), and they also reported higher negative mood.
What it means for you
Brain imaging may offer an objective way to diagnose PMS by detecting the cognitive decline that occurs during the luteal phase. The main limitation is the very small sample size (only 11 women in each group) and narrow age range (20-25 years), so results may not apply to older women or different populations.
11
women with PMS
11
women without PMS
P=0.04
brain activation difference in luteal phase
About the study
- Original title
- Cognitive function evaluation in premenstrual syndrome during the follicular and luteal phases using near-infrared spectroscopy
- Authors
- Aoki M, Suzuki M, Suzuki S et al.
- Journal
- Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology
- Year
- 2022
- Study design
- Case-control study
- Participants
- 11
- What was tested
- None
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100117
Topics
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