Lab study, 2007
Do women with PMS react differently to stress?
Possibly. Women with PMS showed different heart rate patterns during stress compared to women without PMS, suggesting their nervous system handles stress differently. Both groups felt psychological stress.
What they did
The study screened 39 women for PMS. 14 participated: 7 with PMS and 7 without. During premenstrual and postmenstrual phases, they gave a public speech while researchers measured psychological stress, heart rate, heart rate variability, and salivary cortisol.
What they found
Both groups felt psychological stress from public speaking. The PMS group showed a lower ratio of low to high frequency heart rate variation, indicating different nervous system regulation of stress response.
What it means for you
This suggests women with PMS may regulate stress differently than women without PMS. However, the study is very small (7 in each group) and measured only one stress situation (public speaking), so we don't know if results apply more broadly.
39
women screened for PMS
7
women with PMS
7
women without PMS
About the study
- Original title
- INFLUENCES OF PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME ON PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO ACUTE STRESS
- Authors
- Yayoi Oda
- Journal
- PSYCHOLOGIA
- Year
- 2007
- Study design
- Lab study
- Participants
- 39
- What was tested
- Acute stress test using public speaking
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.2117/psysoc.2007.192
Topics
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