---
title: How do different menstrual cycle phases affect attention, memory, and thinking skills?
description: Yes. Sustained attention improved during the early luteal phase when progesterone is high, and spatial memory improved during ovulation when estrogen is high.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/sustained-attention-is-favored-by-progesterone-during-early-luteal-phase-and-2008/
---

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- How do different menstrual cycle phases affect attention, memory, and thinking skills?

Randomised trial, 2008

# How do different menstrual cycle phases affect attention, memory, and thinking skills?

Yes. Sustained attention improved during the early luteal phase when progesterone is high, and spatial memory improved during ovulation when estrogen is high.

 Early or limited evidence

9 healthy women with regular menstrual cycles

## What they did

Nine women with regular cycles completed neuropsychological tests (measuring attention, memory, spatial ability, verbal fluency, coordination, anxiety, and depression) during ovulation, early luteal, late luteal, and menstrual phases.

## What they found

Sustained attention increased significantly during the early luteal phase. Visuo-spatial (spatial) memory increased during ovulation, while verbal fluency decreased at ovulation. These cognitive changes explained 68.31% of the total performance variation across the cycle.

## What it means for you

Your brain's strengths shift during your cycle. You may focus better during your early luteal phase and be better at spatial tasks around ovulation. This was a very small study that needs confirmation in larger groups.

9

women

68.31%

of cognitive variation explained

4 phases

ovulation, early luteal, late luteal, menstrual

## About the study

Original title Sustained attention is favored by progesterone during early luteal phase and visuo-spatial memory by estrogens during ovulatory phase in young women Authors Solís-Ortiz S, Corsi-Cabrera M Journal Psychoneuroendocrinology Year 2008 Study design Randomised trial What was tested Neuropsychological testing during four different cycle phases Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.04.003](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.04.003)

## Topics

[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)

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