Randomised trial, 2012
Does alcohol affect brain activity and thinking differently at different times in the menstrual cycle?
Yes, alcohol had a stronger harmful effect on thinking during the follicular phase (first part of cycle) when progesterone is low. This was shown through brain wave patterns.
What they did
Female participants drank a moderate dose of alcohol or placebo during the follicular and early luteal phases of their menstrual cycle. About 35 minutes later, they performed a thinking task called the Tower of London while brain waves were recorded.
What they found
The harmful effect of alcohol on task performance was stronger during the follicular phase. This was linked to higher alpha-1 brain wave activity, probably due to the low progesterone levels typical of this phase.
What it means for you
How alcohol affects your thinking may vary depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle. The study tested only one specific brain task and did not report the number of women studied, so we cannot know how broadly the results apply.
35
Minutes after alcohol when task was performed
2
Menstrual cycle phases tested
About the study
- Original title
- Effects of alcohol on the performance of the Tower of London task in relation to the menstrual cycle: an electroencephalographic study
- Authors
- Sanz-Martin A, Hernández-González M, Guevara MA et al.
- Journal
- Behavioural pharmacology
- Year
- 2012
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- What was tested
- Moderate dose of alcohol versus placebo
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1097/fbp.0b013e3283584748
Topics
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