Case-control study, 1992
Does PMS affect learning and memory?
Yes. Women with PMS have significant difficulty learning new material, and this problem persists throughout their menstrual cycle regardless of mood.
What they did
Case-control study. 14 women with PMS and 10 without completed cognitive tests during the follicular and late luteal phases across two consecutive menstrual cycles.
What they found
Women with PMS had significant difficulty learning new material that did not vary by cycle phase. Both groups performed better on a frontal lobe function test during the follicular phase than the luteal phase. Differences in mood between groups did not explain the cognitive differences.
What it means for you
Women with PMS may have a persistent learning problem that is not simply due to hormone changes or mood differences. The main limitation is that this was a small study across only two cycles.
14
Women with PMS
10
Women without PMS
2
Consecutive cycles studied
About the study
- Original title
- Psychological aspects of premenstrual syndrome. I: Cognition and memory
- Authors
- Keenan PA, Stern RA, Janowsky DS et al.
- Journal
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Year
- 1992
- Study design
- Case-control study
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/0306-4530(92)90056-d
Topics
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