---
title: Does alcohol affect brain activity and thinking differently at different times in the menstrual cycle?
description: Yes, alcohol had a stronger harmful effect on thinking during the follicular phase (first part of cycle) when progesterone is low. This was shown through brai
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/effects-of-alcohol-on-the-performance-of-the-tower-of-london-task-in-relation-to-2012/
---

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- Does alcohol affect brain activity and thinking differently at different times in the menstrual cycle?

Randomised trial, 2012

# Does alcohol affect brain activity and thinking differently at different times in the menstrual cycle?

Yes, alcohol had a stronger harmful effect on thinking during the follicular phase (first part of cycle) when progesterone is low. This was shown through brain wave patterns.

 Early or limited evidence

Female participants in a controlled research setting

## What they did

Female participants drank a moderate dose of alcohol or placebo during the follicular and early luteal phases of their menstrual cycle. About 35 minutes later, they performed a thinking task called the Tower of London while brain waves were recorded.

## What they found

The harmful effect of alcohol on task performance was stronger during the follicular phase. This was linked to higher alpha-1 brain wave activity, probably due to the low progesterone levels typical of this phase.

## What it means for you

How alcohol affects your thinking may vary depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle. The study tested only one specific brain task and did not report the number of women studied, so we cannot know how broadly the results apply.

35

Minutes after alcohol when task was performed

2

Menstrual cycle phases tested

## About the study

Original title Effects of alcohol on the performance of the Tower of London task in relation to the menstrual cycle: an electroencephalographic study Authors Sanz-Martin A, Hernández-González M, Guevara MA et al. Journal Behavioural pharmacology Year 2012 Study design Randomised trial What was tested Moderate dose of alcohol versus placebo Read the paper [doi.org/10.1097/fbp.0b013e3283584748](https://doi.org/10.1097/fbp.0b013e3283584748)

## Topics

[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Alcohol, smoking and substance use](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-substance-use/)

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