---
title: Can brain scans explain what happens in the brain during PMDD?
description: Brain scans show some short-term changes in brain structure and activity linked to hormone shifts across the cycle, but there are too few well-designed studie
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/neuroimaging-the-menstrual-cycle-and-premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-2015/
---

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- Can brain scans explain what happens in the brain during PMDD?

Cohort study, 2015

# Can brain scans explain what happens in the brain during PMDD?

Brain scans show some short-term changes in brain structure and activity linked to hormone shifts across the cycle, but there are too few well-designed studies to draw firm conclusions yet.

 Early or limited evidence

Not a study of specific people; a review of existing brain-imaging research on healthy women and women with PMDD.

## What they did

This is a review article that looked back over existing brain-imaging studies (like MRI and PET scans) of the menstrual cycle and of women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), to summarise what is known so far.

## What they found

The review found evidence that the brain's structure and function can change over the menstrual cycle in response to hormone shifts. However, there were very few studies, and the findings that do exist are inconsistent and come from studies with design weaknesses.

## What it means for you

Researchers do not yet have a clear picture of how the brain changes in PMDD. The authors call for bigger, better-designed studies that scan women at specific points in the cycle alongside hormone and genetic testing. There is no new data here, just a summary of past research, so no practical advice can be drawn yet.

## About the study

Original title Neuroimaging the Menstrual Cycle and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Authors Comasco E, Sundström-Poromaa I Journal Current psychiatry reports Year 2015 Study design Cohort study Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s11920-015-0619-4](https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-015-0619-4)

## Topics

[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)

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

## Related studies

Cohort study, 2026

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Systematic review, 2026

How often do mood disorders and PMS or PMDD occur together?

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Does continuous paroxetine or birth control work better for PMDD?

Systematic review, 2026

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Study, 2026

How do women with PMDD process emotions differently in their brains?

Systematic review, 2026

Can digital tools help diagnose PMDD?

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