Lab study, 1991
Does the central nervous system work differently in women with PMS?
Yes. Women with PMS showed clear differences in brain wave patterns compared to healthy women, with abnormal patterns in the brain stem (46%), hypothalamus (37%), or both (17%).
What they did
Measured brain waves in 30 healthy women and 15 with PMS using an electroencephalogram at different times in their menstrual cycle.
What they found
Women with PMS had abnormal brain wave patterns different from healthy women. Among those with PMS, 46% showed changes in the brain stem, 37% showed changes in the hypothalamus, and 17% showed changes in both areas. Their brains' adaptive mechanisms were already activating even early in the cycle, indicating these mechanisms were not working properly.
What it means for you
The brain may work differently in people with PMS, particularly in regions that control basic functions and hormones. However, the study was very small (15 women with PMS) and only measured brain waves, not actual symptoms. It doesn't explain how these brain differences relate to what women actually feel.
30
healthy women studied
15
women with PMS studied
46%
with brain stem changes
About the study
- Original title
- [Characteristics of the functional state of the central nervous system in women during the menstrual cycle and in premenstrual syndrome]
- Authors
- Tkachenko NM, Smetnik VP, Il'ina EM
- Journal
- Akusherstvo i ginekologiia
- Year
- 1991
- Study design
- Lab study
- Participants
- 30
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1789327/
Topics
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