---
title: Do women with PMDD show a stronger physical startle response during their cycle?
description: Yes. Women with PMDD showed much stronger startle responses to a loud noise during the luteal phase (around their period) compared to the follicular phase, bu
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/luteal-phase-accentuation-of-acoustic-startle-response-in-women-with-2007/
---

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- Do women with PMDD show a stronger physical startle response during their cycle?

Lab study, 2007

# Do women with PMDD show a stronger physical startle response during their cycle?

Yes. Women with PMDD showed much stronger startle responses to a loud noise during the luteal phase (around their period) compared to the follicular phase, but healthy women did not show this pattern.

 Moderate study design

15 women with PMDD and 14 healthy women

## What they did

Tested 15 women with PMDD and 14 healthy women of similar age during both the follicular and luteal phases. They played a 103 dB loud noise and measured how much the women's muscles jerked (startle response). Some tests were repeated while women viewed pleasant, neutral, or unpleasant pictures.

## What they found

Women with PMDD had significantly higher startle responses during the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase. Healthy women did not show this difference across cycle phases. Viewing pictures did not change how the startle response varied by group or cycle phase.

## What it means for you

Women with PMDD may have heightened physical reactivity to sudden stimuli like stress during the luteal phase. This suggests their nervous system is more on alert premenstrually. Main limit: relatively small study (only 15 women with PMDD).

15

Women with PMDD studied

14

Healthy women in comparison group

103 dB

Sound level of the loud noise

## About the study

Original title Luteal-phase accentuation of acoustic startle response in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder Authors Epperson CN, Pittman B, Czarkowski KA et al. Journal Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Year 2007 Study design Lab study Participants 15 What was tested Comparison of startle response across cycle phases Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1038/sj.npp.1301351](https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.npp.1301351)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)

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