Study, 2005
Does the menstrual cycle phase affect how well women recognize objects shown partially?
Yes, women in the low-estrogen phase were able to recognize objects from more incomplete images than women in the high-estrogen phase.
What they did
Healthy women with regular menstrual cycles looked at fragmented images and tried to identify them. Some images had been shown before and some were new. Women were tested during the low-estrogen or high-estrogen phase of their cycle. Hormone levels were confirmed through saliva tests.
What they found
All women identified previously seen images faster and when images were more fragmented compared to new images. Women in the low-estrogen phase identified both new and previously seen objects when images were more degraded. High estrogen did not block this effect.
What it means for you
During the low-estrogen part of your cycle you may be better at recognizing partial images, possibly because your brain processes visual information differently. This is a small study with only 17-16 women per group testing one type of visual task.
17
women tested during low-estrogen phase
16
women tested during high-estrogen phase
About the study
- Original title
- Menstrual cycle effects on perceptual closure mediate changes in performance on a fragmented objects test of implicit memory
- Authors
- Hampson E, Finestone JM, Levy N
- Journal
- Brain and cognition
- Year
- 2005
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 17
- What was tested
- Viewing fragmented images, some previously shown and some new
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2004.08.028