Skip to content

Survey study, 2023

Does reaction time change during the menstrual cycle?

Reaction time was slower during the luteal phase compared to other cycle phases, but the difference was very small and not clearly seen.

Early or limited evidence 50 healthy women aged 18-25 with regular menstrual cycles in India

What they did

Cross-sectional observational study of 50 healthy women aged 18-25 with regular menstrual cycles in India. They measured how quickly women reacted to visual and auditory signals at four cycle phases: 2 days before menstruation, day 2 of menstruation, day 8 (follicular phase), and day 18 (luteal phase).

What they found

Both visual and auditory reaction time were slower during the luteal phase compared to the premenstrual, menstrual, and follicular phases. However, these differences were very small and not clearly seen.

What it means for you

Reaction time may be slightly slower during the luteal phase when many women experience premenstrual symptoms, but this study did not find a clear difference. This is a small study with 50 women from one location in India, so we cannot be confident in the findings.

50

women studied

18-25 years

age range

4

cycle phases measured

About the study

Original title
Choice Reaction Time in Different Phases of the Menstrual Cycle in Healthy Females: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors
Parikshit Ashok Muley, Pranjali Parikshit Muley, Purva D Lanjekar et al.
Journal
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH
Year
2023
Study design
Survey study
Participants
50
Open access
Yes

Topics