Survey study, 1998
Which method best diagnoses whether PMS symptoms follow a menstrual cycle pattern?
Three diagnostic methods (Mann-Whitney U-test, effect size, and Run-test) agreed on which women had cyclical symptoms. The Run-test was best because it was simpler and more statistically sound than the others.
What they did
80 women seeking PMS treatment completed daily symptom ratings for one menstrual cycle using a visual scale. Researchers also assessed their personality traits and took psychiatric history. They compared four different methods to determine if symptoms cycled with the menstrual cycle.
What they found
Three of the four methods mostly agreed on which patients had cyclical symptoms and which had pure PMS, and showed similar differences in personality traits and psychiatric history between groups. The 30% symptom change method gave notably different results. The Run-test was the most valid and practically useful.
What it means for you
This study is mainly for doctors deciding how to diagnose PMS. For you, it shows that daily symptom tracking is important for accurate diagnosis, and the way doctors interpret the data matters. The method should be consistent and statistically sound.
80
women studied
4
different diagnostic methods compared
3
methods that agreed on diagnosis
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual syndrome: comparison between different methods to diagnose cyclicity using daily symptom ratings
- Authors
- Ekholm UB, Ekholm NO, Bäckström T
- Journal
- Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica
- Year
- 1998
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- Diagnostic method comparison (no treatment)
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/j.1600-0412.1998.770514.x