--- title: Does anxiety sensitivity affect panic symptoms differently at different menstrual cycle phases? description: Women with higher anxiety sensitivity had more panicked thoughts during the premenstrual phase compared to the follicular phase, and compared to women with lo url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-role-of-menstrual-cycle-phase-and-anxiety-sensitivity-in-catastrophic-2012/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does anxiety sensitivity affect panic symptoms differently at different menstrual cycle phases? Study, 2012 # Does anxiety sensitivity affect panic symptoms differently at different menstrual cycle phases? Women with higher anxiety sensitivity had more panicked thoughts during the premenstrual phase compared to the follicular phase, and compared to women with lower anxiety sensitivity. Physical panic symptoms did not differ clearly. Moderate study design 55 women from the general community with no panic disorder history, average age 26 ## What they did 55 women with no panic disorder history underwent a carbon dioxide breathing test twice: once during their premenstrual phase and once during their follicular phase. Researchers measured panic thoughts, physical panic symptoms, anxiety, and nervous system activity. ## What they found Women with higher anxiety sensitivity showed more cognitive panic symptoms (worried thoughts, fear) during the premenstrual phase compared to the follicular phase and compared to women with lower anxiety sensitivity. No clear differences were found in physical panic symptoms, anxiety ratings, or nervous system responses. ## What it means for you For women with higher anxiety sensitivity, the premenstrual phase may intensify how they interpret physical sensations as dangerous or threatening, leading to more worried thoughts. This appears to be about thinking patterns rather than actual physical panic. Anxiety treatment for these women might need to account for menstrual cycle timing. 55 women studied 26 average age in years 2 menstrual cycle phases tested ## About the study Original title The role of menstrual cycle phase and anxiety sensitivity in catastrophic misinterpretation of physical symptoms during a CO(2) challenge Authors Nillni YI, Rohan KJ, Zvolensky MJ Journal Archives of women's mental health Year 2012 Study design Study Participants 55 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s00737-012-0302-2](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-012-0302-2) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual exacerbation (PME)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pme/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[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, 2022 Do mental health disorders get worse during the menstrual cycle? Study, 2026 Do anxiety and depression get worse before your period if you already have a mental health condition? Lab study, 2020 Does anxiety sensitivity change during different parts of the menstrual cycle? Cohort study, 2010 How do anxiety disorders differ across different life stages? Review, 2024 What is premenstrual exacerbation and how does it affect different psychiatric illnesses? Cohort study, 1993 How common are premenstrual and menstrual symptoms in women? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗