---
title: Do women with PMDD have different emotional brain responses across the menstrual cycle?
description: Women with PMDD showed different emotional brain patterns during the follicular phase and links to anxiety and progesterone levels, rather than a simple lutea
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/menstrual-cycle-effects-on-amygdala-reactivity-to-emotional-stimulation-in-2012/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- Do women with PMDD have different emotional brain responses across the menstrual cycle?

Randomised trial, 2012

# Do women with PMDD have different emotional brain responses across the menstrual cycle?

Women with PMDD showed different emotional brain patterns during the follicular phase and links to anxiety and progesterone levels, rather than a simple luteal phase increase. Anxiety proneness and progesterone appear to modulate emotional reactivity in PMDD.

 Moderate study design

Women with PMDD and healthy controls (sample size not specified)

## What they did

Women with PMDD and healthy controls looked at emotional faces during the mid-follicular and late luteal phases while brain activity was measured with fMRI scans.

## What they found

Women with PMDD had enhanced amygdala reactivity in the follicular phase compared to healthy controls, but showed no difference during the luteal phase. Healthy controls showed higher amygdala reactivity in the luteal phase than the follicular phase. In women with PMDD, follicular phase progesterone levels correlated with amygdala reactivity, and depression scores correlated with right amygdala reactivity during the luteal phase. Women with high anxiety traits had increased right amygdala reactivity in the luteal compared to follicular phase. Brain responses habituated more quickly in women with PMDD during repeated scans.

## What it means for you

Anxiety and progesterone levels, rather than the luteal phase itself, appear to influence emotional brain responses in PMDD. The study is limited by small sample size and a specific research population.

2

menstrual cycle phases tested

## About the study

Original title Menstrual cycle effects on amygdala reactivity to emotional stimulation in premenstrual dysphoric disorder Authors Gingnell M, Morell A, Bannbers E et al. Journal Hormones and behavior Year 2012 Study design Randomised trial What was tested Viewing emotional faces during two menstrual cycle phases Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.07.005](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.07.005)

## 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/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

## Related studies

Randomised trial, 1995

Does fluoxetine help premenstrual dysphoria?

Study, 2026

Do anxiety and depression get worse before your period if you already have a mental health condition?

Study, 2026

What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder?

Survey study, 2023

Is PMDD diagnosis associated with more severe depression and anxiety and lower well-being?

Survey study, 2023

How common are PMS, PMDD, anxiety, and depression in rural adolescent girls?

Survey study, 2022

Do stress and rumination increase with PMS severity?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗