--- title: Does how often you blink change across your menstrual cycle? | Niyora description: No. Eye blink rate stayed the same no matter where women were in their menstrual cycle, even when hormone levels changed dramatically. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/intra-subject-consistency-of-spontaneous-eye-blink-rate-in-young-women-across-2020/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does how often you blink change across your menstrual cycle? Study, 2020 # Does how often you blink change across your menstrual cycle? No. Eye blink rate stayed the same no matter where women were in their menstrual cycle, even when hormone levels changed dramatically. Moderate study design 54 women ## What they did 54 women had their eye blink rate measured at three times: during their period (low hormones), before ovulation (high estradiol, low progesterone), and during the luteal phase (both hormones high). ## What they found There were no significant differences in eye blink rate across the three cycle phases. Each woman showed consistent blinking rates across the cycle. The results showed strong evidence that blink rate does not change during the cycle. ## What it means for you Researchers can now safely include women of any cycle phase in eye blink studies without worrying that hormones will affect the results. This is helpful because eye blink rate is sometimes used as a marker of brain chemistry. The study only looked at eye blink rate, so it doesn't tell us whether other measures of brain function change during the cycle. 54 women studied 3 menstrual cycle phases tested ## About the study Original title Intra-subject consistency of spontaneous eye blink rate in young women across the menstrual cycle Authors Hidalgo-Lopez E, Zimmermann G, Pletzer B Journal Scientific reports Year 2020 Study design Study What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-72749-2](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-72749-2) Original abstract The spontaneous eye blink rate (EBR) has been linked to different cognitive processes and neurobiological factors. It has also been proposed as a putative index for striatal dopaminergic function. While estradiol is well-known to increase dopamine levels through multiple mechanisms, no study up to date has investigated whether the EBR changes across the menstrual cycle. This question is imperative however, as women have sometimes been excluded from studies using the EBR due to potential effects of their hormonal profile. Fifty-four women were tested for spontaneous EBR at rest in three different phases of their menstrual cycle: during menses (low progesterone and estradiol), in the pre-ovulatory phase (when estradiol levels peak and progesterone is still low), and during the luteal phase (high progesterone and estradiol). No significant differences were observed across the menstrual cycle and Bayes factors show strong support for the null hypothesis. Instead, we observed high intra-individual consistency of the EBR in our female sample. Accordingly, we strongly encourage including female participants in EBR studies, regardless of their cycle phase. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) 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 Cohort study, 2025 Are irregular menstrual cycles linked to lower thinking and memory skills in middle-aged women? Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Randomised trial, 2026 Which works better for PMDD: cognitive-behavioral therapy or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy? Survey study, 2025 Do menstrual problems and poor sleep affect mood and thinking in teenage girls? Survey study, 2025 What behavioral symptoms of premenstrual syndrome are most common? Study, 2025 Does cognitive-behavioral therapy help girls with PMDD feel better about themselves? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗