---
title: Do reaction times get slower before a period? | Niyora
description: Yes. Women's auditory and visual reaction times were slower during the premenstrual phase compared to after menstruation.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/effect-of-premenstrual-stress-on-audiovisual-reaction-time-and-audiogram-1997/
---

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- Do reaction times get slower before a period?

Study, 1997

# Do reaction times get slower before a period?

Yes. Women's auditory and visual reaction times were slower during the premenstrual phase compared to after menstruation.

 Early or limited evidence

105 healthy women aged 17 to 20 years

## What they did

105 healthy young women aged 17 to 20 were studied. Researchers measured their weight, how fast they responded to sounds (auditory reaction time), how fast they responded to lights (visual reaction time), and their hearing ability. All measurements were taken twice: once during the premenstrual phase and once during the post-menstrual phase.

## What they found

During the premenstrual phase, women gained weight. Both auditory and visual reaction times were slower, meaning women took longer to respond to sounds and lights. A slight increase in hearing loss was also observed during the premenstrual phase, though this was not statistically significant.

## What it means for you

This study shows that women's ability to respond quickly to sounds and sights is noticeably slower in the days before their period. This may be due to fluid and salt retention from ovarian hormones, which can affect how the brain processes information. The study included only young women in India, so it is not clear if these findings apply to women of all ages or in other parts of the world.

105

Women studied

17-20

Age range in years

## About the study

Original title Effect of premenstrual stress on audiovisual reaction time and audiogram Authors Das S, Gandhi A, Mondal S Journal Indian journal of physiology and pharmacology Year 1997 Study design Study Participants 105 What was tested None. Measurements compared premenstrual and post-menstrual phases. Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10225036/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10225036/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)

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.

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