--- title: Do women with PMDD recognize emotions differently across their menstrual cycle than women without PMDD? description: Yes. Women with PMDD showed different emotion recognition responses during different cycle phases while women without PMDD did not. This suggests PMDD affects url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/do-women-with-premenstrual-dysphonic-disorder-experience-differences-in-emotion-2022/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with PMDD recognize emotions differently across their menstrual cycle than women without PMDD? Case-control study, 2022 # Do women with PMDD recognize emotions differently across their menstrual cycle than women without PMDD? Yes. Women with PMDD showed different emotion recognition responses during different cycle phases while women without PMDD did not. This suggests PMDD affects how the brain processes emotional faces. Moderate study design 26 women with PMDD and 30 without PMDD, aged 18-35 with regular menstrual cycles ## What they did Case-control study comparing 26 women with PMDD and 30 women without PMDD. All were aged 18-35 years with regular menstrual cycles. Both groups completed an emotion recognition task during the luteal phase (later in cycle) and follicular phase (earlier in cycle). ## What they found Women with PMDD showed significant differences in emotion recognition between the luteal and follicular phases, varying with estradiol and progesterone levels. Women without PMDD showed no significantly different responses to emotional stimuli across cycle phases. ## What it means for you PMDD may affect how women's brains process emotional faces depending on hormone levels across the menstrual cycle. This suggests emotion recognition tasks could help diagnose PMDD. Limitation: small sample and narrow age range (18-35 years). 26 women with PMDD 30 women without PMDD 18-35 age in years ## About the study Original title Do women with Premenstrual Dysphonic Disorder experience differences in emotion recognition during the menstrual cycle? Authors Vardiampasis A, Gramandani C Journal European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists Year 2022 Study design Case-control study Participants 30 What was tested Emotion recognition task Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.2218](https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.2218) Original abstract Introduction: The relationship between behavioral changes and the menstrual cycle in women at a reproductive age has been investigated in several studies; women during every menstrual cycle experience noticeable changes in levels of sex hormones which are consequently reflected on their mood and behavior. The relationship between the menstrual cycle and the emotion recognition processing has been also studied. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine if differences exist between women with Premenstrual Dysphonic Disorder (PMDD) and women without PMDD in Emotion recognition processing across menstrual cycle. Methods: We examined 26 women with a PMDD and 30 women without PMDD, who have both visited the Mental Health Centre (aged 18-35 y.o., right handed, educational level >9 y., regular cycle duration). Women were clinically interviewed (DSM-V); also the Emotion Recognition Task (ERT) was administered in the luteal and the follicular phase. Results: Women with PMDD showed significant differences in emotion recognition depending on the the luteal and the follicular phase (according to estradiol and progesterone level) whereas women without PMDD did not present significantly different responses to the emotional stimuli. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that there is an effect of PMDD on emotional facial recognition across the two phases of the menstrual cycle. Thus, the importance of incorporating ERT in the formal clinical examination of PMDD is highlighted. Disclosure: No significant relationships. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[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 Survey study, 2021 Does cognitive-behavioral emotional regulation training help women with PMDD? Cohort study, 2026 Does brain structure differ between women with PMDD and healthy controls? Interview study, 2026 How does PMDD change how women feel about themselves in their relationships? Study, 2026 How does PMDD affect women's work and careers? Non-randomised trial, 2024 Does cognitive-behavioral or mindfulness stress management help reduce PMS in high school girls? Survey study, 2023 How common are PMS and PMDD among college girls, and what are their symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗