---
title: How can researchers better track hormone changes throughout the menstrual cycle?
description: Researchers created a new method called PACTS that better tracks how hormones change across your entire menstrual cycle, making patterns easier to spot and po
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/how-to-study-the-menstrual-cycle-as-a-continuous-variable-implementing-phase-2025/
---

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- How can researchers better track hormone changes throughout the menstrual cycle?

Study, 2025

# How can researchers better track hormone changes throughout the menstrual cycle?

Researchers created a new method called PACTS that better tracks how hormones change across your entire menstrual cycle, making patterns easier to spot and potentially improving diagnosis.

 Moderate study design

Data from 44 menstrual cycles

## What they did

Researchers developed a new statistical method and software tool to track menstrual cycles as continuous timelines. They tested it using daily hormone measurements from 44 different cycles.

## What they found

The new PACTS method better aligned hormone patterns (estradiol and progesterone) across different cycles and different people compared to traditional methods. This could help improve diagnosis of period-related conditions like PMDD, catamenial epilepsy, and menstrual migraine.

## What it means for you

A better way to study hormones during your cycle could improve diagnosis of period-related health problems. The main limitation is this demonstrates a technical advance in research methods rather than proof that it improves diagnosis in actual patients.

44

menstrual cycles analyzed

## About the study

Original title How to study the menstrual cycle as a continuous variable: Implementing phase-aligned cycle time scaling (PACTS) with the menstrualcycleR package Authors Nagpal A, Schmalenberger KM, Barone JC et al. Journal Psychoneuroendocrinology Year 2025 Study design Study What was tested A new statistical method for analyzing menstrual cycle data Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107584](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107584)

## Topics

[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Migraine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-migraine/)[Epilepsy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-epilepsy/)

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

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Review, 2000

Do common diseases get worse before a woman's period?

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