---
title: Does PMS affect how well women can think and concentrate? | Niyora
description: Yes. Women with PMS had difficulty concentrating in the week before their period. Having a baby did not change how women think long-term.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/effects-of-premenstrual-syndrome-and-giving-birth-on-womens-cognitive-abilities-2024/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- Does PMS affect how well women can think and concentrate?

Study, 2024

# Does PMS affect how well women can think and concentrate?

Yes. Women with PMS had difficulty concentrating in the week before their period. Having a baby did not change how women think long-term.

 Early or limited evidence

Women in different phases of their menstrual cycle; sample limited due to COVID-19

## What they did

Researchers compared women when they had PMS symptoms and when they did not. Women took tests for depression, anxiety, memory, attention, focus, spatial organization, and thinking skills. The researchers also compared women who had given birth to those who had not.

## What they found

PMS clearly affected women's attention and concentration. There was no clear effect on visual memory, spatial organization, thinking skills, or word recall. Giving birth had no clear long-term effect on any of these abilities.

## What it means for you

If you have PMS, you may find it harder to focus in the days before your period starts. This appears to be temporary and linked to your cycle. The study had a small sample size because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.

## About the study

Original title Effects of Premenstrual Syndrome and Giving Birth on Women’s Cognitive Abilities Authors Zeynep Kavaklı Journal BAU Health and Innovation Year 2024 Study design Study What was tested No intervention - observational comparison during different phases of the menstrual cycle Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.14744/bauh.2024.09719](https://doi.org/10.14744/bauh.2024.09719)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

## Related studies

Survey study, 2025

Can a plant-based supplement reduce PMS symptoms?

Survey study, 2023

Do women with PMS have slower reaction times and mood changes than others?

Survey study, 2023

How common are PMS and PMDD among college girls, and what are their symptoms?

Randomised trial, 2023

Does a smartphone app for heart rate variability biofeedback reduce premenstrual and depressive symptoms?

Case-control study, 2019

Does inflammation affect mood in women with PMS?

Lab study, 2013

Could antidepressants help prevent PMS by keeping brain chemicals stable?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗