--- title: Do women with PMS have lasting problems with focus and impulse control throughout their cycle? description: Yes. Women with PMS have ongoing problems with focus and impulse control throughout their cycle, and these are not caused by hormone level changes. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/impairment-of-executive-functions-in-premenstrual-syndrome-state-or-trait-2026/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with PMS have lasting problems with focus and impulse control throughout their cycle? Survey study, 2026 # Do women with PMS have lasting problems with focus and impulse control throughout their cycle? Yes. Women with PMS have ongoing problems with focus and impulse control throughout their cycle, and these are not caused by hormone level changes. Moderate study design 105 women aged 19-35: 51 with PMS/PMDD and 54 without ## What they did Researchers tested 105 women aged 19-35 (51 with PMS/PMDD and 54 without) across 3 different phases of their menstrual cycle. They measured focus and impulse control using computerized tasks and measured hormone levels in saliva. ## What they found Women with PMS showed weaker focus under high mental load, and this did not change across cycle phases. They also had longer reaction times on impulse control tasks across all cycle phases, and longer reaction times were linked to more severe premenstrual symptoms. Hormone levels did not predict these performance differences. ## What it means for you Problems with focus and impulse control may be a lasting trait for women with PMS rather than something that comes and goes with their cycle. This could help explain why they have difficulty managing emotions. This study tested women during one cycle, so we cannot know if these cognitive problems persist over years or change with treatment. 105 total women tested 51 with PMS/PMDD 54 without PMS/PMDD ## About the study Original title Impairment of Executive Functions in Premenstrual Syndrome: State or Trait? Authors Gnaiger AM, Werlein P, Gruschwitz P et al. Journal Biological psychiatry global open science Year 2026 Study design Survey study Participants 105 What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsgos.2026.100730](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsgos.2026.100730) Original abstract Background: The aim of this study was to explore whether cognitive impairments in women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) are phase-dependent or persist across the menstrual cycle. Furthermore, we investigated whether such deficits are limited to working memory (WM) or also extend to inhibitory control (IC). Methods: A total of 105 regularly cycling women between the ages of 19 and 35 years were tested across 3 menstrual cycle phases (mid-follicular, mid-luteal, and late luteal). Premenstrual symptoms were tracked across 2 cycles. Fifty-one women were allocated to the PMS/PMDD group, and 54 women served as control participants. WM and IC were assessed using the n-back and stop signal task, respectively. Hormone levels were determined using saliva samples. Results: WM deficits in the PMS/PMDD group emerged under high cognitive load and did not vary by cycle phase. The PMS/PMDD group also had significantly longer stop signal reaction times across all cycle phases, with stop signal reaction times positively correlating with premenstrual symptom severity. There was no significant correlation between performance measures and gonadal hormone levels. Conclusions: Cognitive impairments in PMS/PMDD appear to be trait-like and affect both WM and IC. Additionally, IC was significantly associated with premenstrual symptom severity. Executive deficits may underlie difficulties in emotion regulation and are not solely attributable to gonadal hormone levels. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Reproductive hormone sensitivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-hormone-sensitivity/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/) 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, 2020 What symptoms best predict whether PMDD will seriously affect daily life? Randomised trial, 2019 Does online cognitive behavioral therapy help women with PMDD? Review, 2013 What treatments work best for PMDD? Systematic review, 2026 Do digital tools and apps help reduce PMS and PMDD symptoms? Survey study, 2026 Are PMS and PMDD the same condition or are they different? Survey study, 2026 Do women with ADHD and autism have more premenstrual problems than women without these conditions? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗