Survey study, 1982
Do different parts of the nervous system change at different times in the menstrual cycle?
Yes. Brain activity was higher during the middle of the cycle, while the automatic nervous system was more active before your period. The two systems appear to change independently.
What they did
Researchers tested 36 women in two separate groups. One group was tested during the premenstrual phase and the other during the intermenstrual phase. They measured nervous system activity using both direct measurements and by asking women how activated they felt.
What they found
Brain levels of activation were higher in the middle of the cycle than before the period. The automatic nervous system (which controls heart rate, breathing, and digestion without you thinking about it) was more active before the period than in the middle. The two systems varied independently of each other.
What it means for you
Different parts of the nervous system become more or less active at different times in your cycle, which helps explain why your body and mood change throughout the month. This study from 1982 included only 36 women, so newer research with larger numbers would help confirm these findings.
36
women studied
2
cycle phases compared
About the study
- Original title
- Changes with the menstrual cycle in psychophysiological and self-report measures of activation
- Authors
- Asso D, Braier JR
- Journal
- Biological psychology
- Year
- 1982
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 36
- What was tested
- Observation of nervous system activity at different menstrual phases
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/0301-0511(82)90034-5