---
title: Do women with PMS have different brain structure and activity compared to women without PMS?
description: Yes. Women with PMS have larger amygdalae and different patterns of connections between the amygdala and other brain regions.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/larger-volume-and-different-functional-connectivity-of-the-amygdala-in-women-2018/
---

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- Do women with PMS have different brain structure and activity compared to women without PMS?

Study, 2018

# Do women with PMS have different brain structure and activity compared to women without PMS?

Yes. Women with PMS have larger amygdalae and different patterns of connections between the amygdala and other brain regions.

 Moderate study design

20 women with PMS and 21 healthy women

## What they did

Brain scans using MRI were done on 20 women with PMS and 21 healthy women during the luteal phase. Scans measured the size of the amygdala and how it connected to other brain regions.

## What they found

Women with PMS had larger amygdalae on both sides of the brain. They had stronger connections between the amygdala and parts of the frontal cortex, temporal regions, and insula. Connections were weaker between the amygdala and the right orbitofrontal cortex and right hippocampus. The strength of some connections was related to how severe their symptoms were.

## What it means for you

PMS may involve changes in brain structure and communication between brain regions. This doesn't show whether these brain changes cause PMS or result from it. The study only looked at one phase of the menstrual cycle.

20

women with PMS

21

healthy control women

luteal phase

timing of scans

## About the study

Original title Larger volume and different functional connectivity of the amygdala in women with premenstrual syndrome Authors Deng D, Pang Y, Duan G et al. Journal European radiology Year 2018 Study design Study What was tested None; brain imaging comparison Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s00330-017-5206-0](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-017-5206-0)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)

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