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Case-control study, 2025

Does sleep quality affect brain activity and anxiety-depression symptoms in PMS?

Yes. Poor sleep quality in PMS patients is linked to different brain activity patterns. The relationship between certain brain changes and anxiety-depression symptoms is partly explained by sleep quality.

Moderate study design 77 PMS patients (some with poor sleep, some with normal sleep) and 66 healthy controls

What they did

Case-control study comparing 77 PMS patients and 66 healthy people. Participants had brain imaging (fMRI) and completed questionnaires about sleep quality, anxiety, and depression.

What they found

PMS patients with poor sleep had different brain connectivity patterns than those with normal sleep. Both PMS groups showed some abnormal brain connections compared to healthy controls. The link between brain changes in certain areas and anxiety-depression was partly mediated by sleep quality.

What it means for you

Sleep quality may be important in how brain changes cause anxiety and depression in PMS. If confirmed, improving sleep might help reduce these symptoms. The study was observational and only showed associations, not causation.

77

PMS patients studied

66

healthy controls studied

About the study

Original title
Effects of sleep quality on the default mode network and on anxiety-depression symptoms in premenstrual syndrome
Authors
Qin H, Zhang Y, Li S et al.
Journal
BMC psychiatry
Year
2025
Study design
Case-control study
What was tested
None - observational study
Open access
Yes

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