Study, 2005
Does emotional processing in the brain change across the menstrual cycle?
Yes. In women without PMDD, activity in the emotion-processing part of the brain changes depending on where they are in their menstrual cycle.
What they did
Researchers used brain imaging to measure activity in an emotion-processing part of the brain while women viewed emotional words. They compared activity before menstruation with activity after menstruation.
What they found
Before menstruation, activity increased in one region of the emotion-processing area when viewing negative compared to neutral words, while activity decreased in another region. After menstruation, this pattern reversed.
What it means for you
The brain's emotional processing naturally changes across the menstrual cycle, which might be normal biology rather than a sign of disorder. This study was done in women who did not have PMDD symptoms, so it may not explain PMDD. The sample size is not stated, so these findings need confirmation in larger studies.
About the study
- Original title
- Orbitofrontal cortex activity related to emotional processing changes across the menstrual cycle
- Authors
- Protopopescu X, Pan H, Altemus M et al.
- Journal
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
- Year
- 2005
- Study design
- Study
- What was tested
- Brain imaging while viewing emotional words
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0502818102