Study, 2014
Do women with PMDD lose the normal ability to control pain with emotions?
No. Women with PMDD and control women both showed the same pattern: pain was strongest during negative emotions and weakest during positive emotions, regardless of cycle phase.
What they did
Researchers tested 14 women with PMDD and 14 control women at three cycle phases: early, ovulatory, and late-luteal. Women viewed emotionally-charged pictures (disturbing, neutral, erotic) while receiving mild electrical stimulation. Researchers measured reported pain and spinal reflex response. Hormone levels and LH surges confirmed cycle phase.
What they found
Pictures successfully created the intended emotional states in both groups across all cycle phases. In both women with PMDD and control women across all menstrual phases, pain was highest during negative emotions and lowest during positive emotions. This same pattern appeared consistently in both groups and all phases.
What it means for you
Women with PMDD show normal emotional control of pain, unlike women with depression, insomnia, or fibromyalgia. This suggests PMDD affects emotions differently than these conditions. However, the study included only 14 women with PMDD tested in a lab setting with pictures, so findings may not apply to real-life pain.
14
women with PMDD
14
control women
3
menstrual cycle phases tested
About the study
- Original title
- Affective disturbance associated with premenstrual dysphoric disorder does not disrupt emotional modulation of pain and spinal nociception
- Authors
- Rhudy JL, Bartley EJ, Palit S et al.
- Journal
- Pain
- Year
- 2014
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 14
- What was tested
- None - observational study
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2014.08.011
Topics
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