--- title: Does period pain affect memory and thinking? | Niyora description: Yes. Women with period pain showed clear decreases in memory and thinking abilities on the worst day of their period and on day 3 of menstruation. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/relationship-between-menstrual-cycle-and-cognitive-function-in-women-with-2025/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does period pain affect memory and thinking? Survey study, 2025 # Does period pain affect memory and thinking? Yes. Women with period pain showed clear decreases in memory and thinking abilities on the worst day of their period and on day 3 of menstruation. Early or limited evidence 46 women with period pain who reported cognitive problems ## What they did Researchers looked at 46 women with period pain who reported that their thinking was affected. They tested their memory, word recall, and ability to remember numbers on different days of the menstrual cycle. ## What they found On day 3 of menstruation, women showed clear decreases in two types of word fluency tests and in memory for number sequences forwards and backwards. On the most painful day of their period, women showed clear decreases in all tested thinking abilities, including memory and word fluency. ## What it means for you Period pain is connected with worse memory and thinking abilities during menstruation. Women with severe period pain may struggle with concentration and memory on their worst days. The main limits are this was a small group of 46 women who already reported cognitive changes, so we do not know if all women with period pain experience this. 46 women studied ## About the study Original title Relationship between menstrual cycle and cognitive function in women with primary dysmenorrhea Authors Atlihan U, Durakli Ulukök M, Yavuz O Journal Turkish journal of medical sciences Year 2025 Study design Survey study Participants 46 What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.55730/1300-0144.5966](https://doi.org/10.55730/1300-0144.5966) Original abstract Background/aim: To evaluate the relationship between the change in pain intensity over days of the menstrual cycle and cognitive function in females with primary dysmenorrhea. Materials and methods: One hundred thirty-four females with primary dysmenorrhea who were admitted to our hospital from January 2021 to November 2023 were assessed. Of these participants, 46 individuals who subjectively stated that their cognitive function was affected, for whom neurology consultation was requested, and for whom patient data were available, were included in the study. Results: A significant decrease was seen in phonemic and semantic fluency on day 3 of menstruation (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). A significant decrease was observed in the forward and backward digit span (DGS) scores on day 3 of menstruation (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). A significant decrease was seen in the forward and backward DGS scores on the most painful day of menstruation (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). A significant decrease in the logical memory subtest Wechsler Memory Scale revised scores on the most painful day of menstruation (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Consistent with the literature, strong evidence was found showing a negative correlation between dysmenorrhea and cognitive function. Future prospective, larger sample-size studies comparing cognitive function in females with and without dysmenorrhea at various stages of the menstrual cycle are needed. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/) 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 Survey study, 2023 How common are PMS and PMDD among college girls, and what are their symptoms? Cohort study, 2006 How should severe period pain in teenagers be treated? Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Cohort study, 2024 Is there a link between sleep and menstrual problems in teenage girls? Cohort study, 2021 Are low antioxidant vitamins or high oxidative stress linked to premenstrual syndrome? Survey study, 2026 Does childhood trauma cause worse PMS, and can social support help? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗