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.
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
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