---
title: Are there brain differences in women with PMS? | Niyora
description: Yes. Women with PMS show different connectivity patterns between the thalamus and other brain regions involved in emotion and stress.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/altered-functional-connectivity-of-thalamic-subregions-in-premenstrual-syndrome-2025/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- Are there brain differences in women with PMS?

Case-control study, 2025

# Are there brain differences in women with PMS?

Yes. Women with PMS show different connectivity patterns between the thalamus and other brain regions involved in emotion and stress.

 Moderate study design

71 women with PMS and 81 healthy controls

## What they did

Brain imaging study of 71 women with PMS and 81 healthy controls. All participants had MRI scans and blood tests measuring hormones and inflammation.

## What they found

Women with PMS had lower connectivity between the middle frontal gyrus and parts of the thalamus, and higher connectivity between the insula and the thalamus. These connectivity differences correlated with PMS symptom severity. Symptom severity also correlated with TNF-alpha, an inflammation marker.

## What it means for you

Brain areas involved in emotion processing work differently in women with PMS, possibly due to inflammation. The study shows these brain differences exist but cannot prove whether they cause or result from PMS.

71 vs 81

women with PMS vs controls

## About the study

Original title Altered functional connectivity of thalamic subregions in premenstrual syndrome Authors Sun R, Lai Y, Zhang Q et al. Journal Journal of affective disorders Year 2025 Study design Case-control study Participants 71 What was tested None (observational brain imaging study) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.03.038](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.03.038)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)

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, 2026

What is it like for women to live with PMS or PMDD?

Systematic review, 2025

Is there a link between stress, trauma, and premenstrual symptoms?

Cohort study, 2025

Is there a link between premenstrual disorders and autoimmune disease?

Cohort study, 2024

Do women with severe premenstrual disorders have higher risk of relationship breakup?

Cohort study, 2024

Is there a link between sleep and menstrual problems in teenage girls?

Randomised trial, 2023

Does taking sertraline when PMDD symptoms start improve how well women function?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗