Skip to content

Study, 1992

What physical and emotional symptoms happen at different times of the menstrual cycle, and why?

A study of 79 women found that physical and emotional symptoms happen throughout the entire menstrual cycle. These symptoms are connected to how the brain works.

Early or limited evidence 79 women with mean age of 31.5 years

What they did

Researchers asked 79 women to fill out charts over 2-3 menstrual cycles. They measured brain electrical activity, tested nervous system responses, and asked about emotional and mental changes.

What they found

Women reported various physical and emotional symptoms during all phases of the menstrual cycle including the follicular phase (first part), luteal phase (second part), and during ovulation. Tests showed brain activity and nervous system function were connected to these symptoms.

What it means for you

Symptoms happen throughout the cycle, not just before the period, and the brain plays a role. The main limitation is this study did not compare women with and without these symptoms, so we cannot know if brain patterns differ in women without symptoms.

79

women in the study

31.5 years

mean age of participants

2-3

menstrual cycles tracked

About the study

Original title
[General principles of the pathogenesis of vegetovascular and psychoemotional disorders during menstrual cycle and methodological approaches to their study]
Authors
Tkachenko NM, Il'ina EM
Journal
Akusherstvo i ginekologiia
Year
1992
Study design
Study
Participants
79
What was tested
None

Topics