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.
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