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.
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
Topics
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