Lab study, 2013
Does brain structure change during your menstrual cycle and affect stress response?
Yes. The amygdala grows larger during the premenstrual phase, and the amount of growth is linked to increased stress sensitivity and negative mood during that phase.
What they did
Study of 28 healthy young women. Brain scans (MRI) were done at two times: during the premenstrual phase and during the late follicular phase (earlier in the cycle). After each scan, women watched emotionally intense and neutral videos while researchers measured their mood changes and stress responses.
What they found
The left amygdala (specifically the dorsal part) had more gray matter volume during the premenstrual phase compared to the late follicular phase. The amount of this volume increase was directly linked to how much more negative mood women experienced when viewing stressful videos during the premenstrual phase.
What it means for you
Hormone changes cause the emotion-processing center of your brain to grow larger, which could explain increased stress sensitivity premenstrually. This is the first study showing structural brain change linked to natural hormone cycles in humans. However, the study was small (28 women) and didn't show whether treating these changes would help PMS symptoms.
28
Women studied
2
Menstrual cycle phases compared
About the study
- Original title
- Menstrual cycle-related changes in amygdala morphology are associated with changes in stress sensitivity
- Authors
- Ossewaarde L, van Wingen GA, Rijpkema M et al.
- Journal
- Human brain mapping
- Year
- 2013
- Study design
- Lab study
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1002/hbm.21502