Study, 1997
Do reaction times get slower before a period?
Yes. Women's auditory and visual reaction times were slower during the premenstrual phase compared to after menstruation.
What they did
105 healthy young women aged 17 to 20 were studied. Researchers measured their weight, how fast they responded to sounds (auditory reaction time), how fast they responded to lights (visual reaction time), and their hearing ability. All measurements were taken twice: once during the premenstrual phase and once during the post-menstrual phase.
What they found
During the premenstrual phase, women gained weight. Both auditory and visual reaction times were slower, meaning women took longer to respond to sounds and lights. A slight increase in hearing loss was also observed during the premenstrual phase, though this was not statistically significant.
What it means for you
This study shows that women's ability to respond quickly to sounds and sights is noticeably slower in the days before their period. This may be due to fluid and salt retention from ovarian hormones, which can affect how the brain processes information. The study included only young women in India, so it is not clear if these findings apply to women of all ages or in other parts of the world.
105
Women studied
17-20
Age range in years
About the study
- Original title
- Effect of premenstrual stress on audiovisual reaction time and audiogram
- Authors
- Das S, Gandhi A, Mondal S
- Journal
- Indian journal of physiology and pharmacology
- Year
- 1997
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 105
- What was tested
- None. Measurements compared premenstrual and post-menstrual phases.
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10225036/
Topics
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