Study, 2012
Does thinking ability change during the menstrual cycle?
Seventy young women showed better thinking ability during the postmenstrual phase than during the premenstrual phase. There was no evidence of thinking problems in either phase.
What they did
Seventy young women were tested for thinking ability during both the premenstrual and postmenstrual phases using a standard mental exam. The test measured thinking, memory, judgment, and problem-solving.
What they found
The study showed no thinking impairment in either the premenstrual or postmenstrual phase. However, women had better thinking performance during the postmenstrual phase compared to the premenstrual phase. Higher estrogen levels during the postmenstrual phase may support thinking ability.
What it means for you
Most women do not have thinking problems at any point in their cycle, but thinking ability may be slightly better after menstruation when estrogen is higher. This is a small study of young women only, so results may not apply to all women or older women with PMS.
70
young women tested
About the study
- Original title
- Cognitive Function and Menstrual Cycle
- Authors
- Sugata Jadhav, Nishant Bansod
- Journal
- International Journal of Scientific Research
- Year
- 2012
- Study design
- Study
- What was tested
- None
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.15373/22778179/june2014/115