Lab study, 2008
Does the premenstrual phase affect how well your brain can hold and work with information?
Working memory was actually better during the premenstrual phase than after the period, with fewer errors. Mild PMS symptoms did not interfere with this improvement.
What they did
12 female university students completed computer-based working memory tasks during both their premenstrual and postmenstrual phases. Each session lasted 60 minutes. The order of testing was randomized to avoid bias.
What they found
Women made significantly fewer errors on working memory tasks during the premenstrual phase, meaning their performance was better. There was no clear difference between phases in mental workload or heart rate changes (measures of how hard the brain was working). Mild PMS symptoms did not affect working memory function.
What it means for you
This suggests that estrogen, which rises before the period, may actually help working memory rather than hurt it. The main limits are the very small sample size (12 women) and that the study only looked at mild PMS symptoms, so findings may not apply to women with more severe PMS. More research is needed.
12
Female students tested
60 minutes
Duration of each session
2
Cycle phases tested
About the study
- Original title
- Effects of the menstrual cycle on working memory: comparison of postmenstrual and premenstrual phases
- Authors
- Konishi K, Kumashiro M, Izumi H et al.
- Journal
- Industrial health
- Year
- 2008
- Study design
- Lab study
- Participants
- 12
- What was tested
- None—this is comparing performance across cycle phases, not testing a treatment
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.2486/indhealth.46.253
Topics
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