--- title: Does your menstrual cycle phase affect how your body responds to emotions? description: Yes, women show different heart rate and startle responses during the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase, especially when they have premenstrual sy url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/processing-emotions-effects-of-menstrual-cycle-phase-and-premenstrual-symptoms-2018/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does your menstrual cycle phase affect how your body responds to emotions? Study, 2018 # Does your menstrual cycle phase affect how your body responds to emotions? Yes, women show different heart rate and startle responses during the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase, especially when they have premenstrual symptoms. The effect was clearest when premenstrual symptoms were included in the analysis. Early or limited evidence 45 healthy women with regular menstrual cycles ## What they did 45 women completed an emotion test twice - once during their early follicular phase and once during their late luteal phase. The researchers measured their heart rate and facial muscle responses while they watched emotional images and heard startling sounds. ## What they found During the luteal phase, women had larger startle responses when premenstrual symptoms were included in the analysis. They showed higher heart rates at rest during the luteal phase. Heart rate responses to emotional images differed by cycle phase, with greater initial slowing during the follicular phase, especially when viewing negative images. Testosterone showed the most consistent links to these responses. Facial muscle responses did not differ by cycle phase. ## What it means for you Your menstrual cycle phase affects how your nervous system reacts to emotions, particularly if you experience premenstrual symptoms. The main limitations are the small sample size and that this was a lab setting with artificial stimuli, not real-life emotions. 45 women 2 cycle phases tested ## About the study Original title Processing emotions: Effects of menstrual cycle phase and premenstrual symptoms on the startle reflex, facial EMG and heart rate Authors Armbruster D, Grage T, Kirschbaum C et al. Journal Behavioural brain research Year 2018 Study design Study Participants 45 Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2018.05.030](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2018.05.030) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/) 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 Cohort study, 2026 What genetic factors are linked to premenstrual symptoms? Randomised trial, 2026 Does aerobic or resistance exercise reduce anxiety in women with PMS? Study, 2026 How do women with PMDD process emotions differently in their brains? Systematic review, 2026 Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle? Case-control study, 2026 Do women with PMS handle emotions differently at different times of the cycle? Survey study, 2025 Does PMDD or PMS affect quality of life? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗