Study, 2009
Does the menstrual cycle phase affect how well women can focus and remember things?
The menstrual cycle affects how well women focus but not memory. Lower estradiol levels seem to reduce your ability to focus.
What they did
30 women with regular menstrual cycles took a memory test and a Stroop task (a test of how well you can focus and ignore distractions) at different points in their cycle when hormone levels were low versus high.
What they found
Women's ability to focus was different when estradiol and progesterone levels were low compared to high. Memory performance did not differ between these times. Their mood did not change.
What it means for you
The menstrual cycle affects how well you can focus through a direct effect on the brain, not through mood or memory. This is a small study with only 30 women, and it tested at only two hormone levels, not throughout the full cycle.
30
women studied
2
cycle phases tested
2
tasks tested
About the study
- Original title
- Menstrual cycle phase effects on memory and Stroop task performance
- Authors
- Hatta T, Nagaya K
- Journal
- Archives of sexual behavior
- Year
- 2009
- Study design
- Study
- What was tested
- None; natural menstrual cycle phases were observed
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1007/s10508-008-9445-7
Topics
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