--- title: Does stress sensitivity affect how the brain responds to emotional images across the menstrual cycle? description: The brain responds more strongly to emotional images during the late follicular phase than the luteal phase, and this effect is larger in women with high stre url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/sensitivity-of-the-late-positive-potentials-evoked-by-emotional-pictures-to-2013/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does stress sensitivity affect how the brain responds to emotional images across the menstrual cycle? Survey study, 2013 # Does stress sensitivity affect how the brain responds to emotional images across the menstrual cycle? The brain responds more strongly to emotional images during the late follicular phase than the luteal phase, and this effect is larger in women with high stress sensitivity. Early or limited evidence Women with high and low stress sensitivity ## What they did Women with high and low stress sensitivity viewed emotional pictures during three cycle phases: menstruation, late follicular, and luteal. Researchers measured brain electrical activity in response to the pictures. ## What they found Brain response to emotional pictures was larger during the late follicular phase than the luteal phase. Women with high stress sensitivity had larger brain responses than low stress sensitivity women. The connection between brain response and how much the images bothered women was mainly in the high stress sensitivity group. ## What it means for you The menstrual cycle and stress sensitivity both affect how the brain processes emotions at a measurable level. The number of women tested was not stated in the abstract. 3 phases Cycle phases tested late follicular Strongest brain response high neuroticism Shows larger response ## About the study Original title Sensitivity of the late positive potentials evoked by emotional pictures to neuroticism during the menstrual cycle Authors Zhang W, Zhou R, Wang Q et al. Journal Neuroscience letters Year 2013 Study design Survey study What was tested None - observed brain responses across cycle phases Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2013.06.037](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2013.06.037) ## Topics [Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Anxiety disorders and OCD](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-anxiety-disorders/) 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 Systematic review, 2026 Can digital tools help diagnose PMDD? Systematic review, 2022 Do mental health disorders get worse during the menstrual cycle? Cohort study, 1993 How common are premenstrual and menstrual symptoms in women? Study, 2026 Do anxiety and depression get worse before your period if you already have a mental health condition? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Systematic review, 2022 Do anxiety disorders, PTSD and OCD get worse at certain points in the menstrual cycle? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗