Study, 2018
Does your menstrual cycle phase affect how your body responds to emotions?
Yes, women show different heart rate and startle responses during the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase, especially when they have premenstrual symptoms. The effect was clearest when premenstrual symptoms were included in the analysis.
What they did
45 women completed an emotion test twice - once during their early follicular phase and once during their late luteal phase. The researchers measured their heart rate and facial muscle responses while they watched emotional images and heard startling sounds.
What they found
During the luteal phase, women had larger startle responses when premenstrual symptoms were included in the analysis. They showed higher heart rates at rest during the luteal phase. Heart rate responses to emotional images differed by cycle phase, with greater initial slowing during the follicular phase, especially when viewing negative images. Testosterone showed the most consistent links to these responses. Facial muscle responses did not differ by cycle phase.
What it means for you
Your menstrual cycle phase affects how your nervous system reacts to emotions, particularly if you experience premenstrual symptoms. The main limitations are the small sample size and that this was a lab setting with artificial stimuli, not real-life emotions.
45
women
2
cycle phases tested
About the study
- Original title
- Processing emotions: Effects of menstrual cycle phase and premenstrual symptoms on the startle reflex, facial EMG and heart rate
- Authors
- Armbruster D, Grage T, Kirschbaum C et al.
- Journal
- Behavioural brain research
- Year
- 2018
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 45
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2018.05.030
Topics
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