Lab study, 2018
Does menstrual cycle phase affect how the brain responds to money rewards in women with depression?
Women with depression symptoms showed a weaker brain response to money gains during the luteal phase than during the follicular phase, while women without depression showed no such change. Greater fluctuation across cycle phases was linked to higher depression symptoms.
What they did
Women were tested during both the follicular and luteal phases of their menstrual cycle. While their brain activity was measured, they viewed results of a game where they could win or lose money. Researchers compared women with high depression symptoms to those with low depression symptoms.
What they found
Women with high depression showed a reduced brain response to monetary gains in the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase. Women with low depression showed no difference between phases. The greater the change in brain response to gains across menstrual cycle phases, the greater the depression symptoms in the women. There was no effect on response to losses.
What it means for you
Hormonal changes across the menstrual cycle may affect how women's brains process rewards, and this could be linked to depression symptoms. Since this study measured brain responses during a money game task, it is unclear if the findings apply to how women experience real-world rewards in daily life.
2
cycle phases tested
About the study
- Original title
- Effects of menstrual cycle phase on electrocortical response to reward and depressive symptoms in women
- Authors
- Mulligan EM, Nelson BD, Infantolino ZP et al.
- Journal
- Psychophysiology
- Year
- 2018
- Study design
- Lab study
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13268
Topics
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