---
title: Can acoustic startle response help us understand how hormones affect PMDD?
description: Possibly. Two types of acoustic startle response tests may help scientists understand how hormones affect PMDD, but most studies have not yet properly tested
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/startling-differences-using-the-acoustic-startle-response-to-study-sex-2018/
---

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- Can acoustic startle response help us understand how hormones affect PMDD?

Review, 2018

# Can acoustic startle response help us understand how hormones affect PMDD?

Possibly. Two types of acoustic startle response tests may help scientists understand how hormones affect PMDD, but most studies have not yet properly tested this.

 Early or limited evidence

Review of research on women and sex differences in psychiatric disorders

## What they did

This is a review examining whether the acoustic startle response, a simple test measuring how someone reacts to a sudden loud noise, could be used to study how hormone-like substances in the brain affect psychiatric disorders like PMDD.

## What they found

Anxiety-potentiated startle and prepulse inhibition are the most reliable acoustic startle tests for studying how hormones affect mood disorders. However, few studies have actually tested whether these tests show differences related to the menstrual cycle or sex.

## What it means for you

Scientists believe acoustic startle response tests might help understand how hormones affect mood disorders like PMDD, but this method is not yet widely used in research. The review identifies which test types might work best and recommends future studies account for hormone levels.

## About the study

Original title Startling Differences: Using the Acoustic Startle Response to Study Sex Differences and Neurosteroids in Affective Disorders Authors Hantsoo L, Golden CEM, Kornfield S et al. Journal Current psychiatry reports Year 2018 Study design Review What was tested None. This proposes acoustic startle response as a research method, not a treatment. Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s11920-018-0906-y](https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-018-0906-y)

## Topics

[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Neurosteroids (allopregnanolone)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-neurosteroids/)

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## Related studies

Systematic review, 2026

Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle?

Survey study, 2022

What causes PMS and PMDD and what new treatments are being studied?

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Review, 2025

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Randomised trial, 2024

Does sertraline change brain chemicals in people with PMDD, and does this relate to symptom improvement?

Case-control study, 2022

Are differences in emotional brain activity in women with PMDD related to progesterone-derived neurosteroids?

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