--- title: Does a rare neurological disease affect menstrual patterns? | Niyora description: Women with NMOSD do not have different menstrual patterns than healthy women before the disease develops. After NMOSD starts, menstrual irregularities increas url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/neuromyelitis-optica-spectrum-disorder-and-menstruation-2018/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does a rare neurological disease affect menstrual patterns? Case-control study, 2018 # Does a rare neurological disease affect menstrual patterns? Women with NMOSD do not have different menstrual patterns than healthy women before the disease develops. After NMOSD starts, menstrual irregularities increase significantly. Early or limited evidence 32 women with NMOSD and 33 healthy women in Iran ## What they did Cross-sectional study in Iran comparing 32 women with NMOSD and 33 healthy controls. Researchers collected information on age at first period, menstrual patterns, PMS history, and whether periods changed after NMOSD diagnosis. ## What they found Before NMOSD onset, both groups were similar for menstrual patterns and age at first period (NMOSD: 13.31 years, controls: 13.48 years). Healthy controls reported PMS more often (78.8% vs 40.6%). After NMOSD started, menstrual irregularities increased from 15.6% to 43.7%. ## What it means for you NMOSD appears to disrupt menstrual regularity but not other aspects of periods. The disease itself, not hormonal differences before illness, triggers irregular cycles. This is one small study from one country, so results may not apply everywhere. 32 NMOSD patients 43.7% with irregular cycles after disease onset 78.8% healthy controls with PMS ## About the study Original title Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and menstruation Authors Badihian S, Manouchehri N, Mirmosayyeb O et al. Journal Revue neurologique Year 2018 Study design Case-control study What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.neurol.2018.01.373](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurol.2018.01.373) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[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 Randomised trial, 2026 Does aerobic or resistance exercise reduce anxiety in women with PMS? Cohort study, 2025 How common is PMS in Chinese teenage girls, and what factors are linked to it? Systematic review, 2025 Does alcohol use affect menstrual health in teenage girls? Lab study, 2026 Do core stability exercises help women with PMDD? Study, 2026 What coping strategies help women manage PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2026 Is worry about climate change linked to worse PMS symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗