---
title: Why do women with severe PMS have worse symptoms? | Niyora
description: Women with severe PMS have more active nervous systems and lower brain activity during the premenstrual phase. This may explain why their symptoms are worse,
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/psychological-and-physiological-changes-in-severe-premenstrual-syndrome-1992/
---

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- Why do women with severe PMS have worse symptoms?

Survey study, 1992

# Why do women with severe PMS have worse symptoms?

Women with severe PMS have more active nervous systems and lower brain activity during the premenstrual phase. This may explain why their symptoms are worse, though it's unclear which causes which.

 Early or limited evidence

20 women with severe PMS and 20 women without PMS

## What they did

The researchers measured nervous system activity and recorded mood in 20 women with severe PMS and 20 women without PMS at different times: during the follicular phase (earlier in the cycle) and during the premenstrual phase (just before the period).

## What they found

Women with severe PMS had higher nervous system activity in both phases of the cycle compared to women without PMS. In the premenstrual phase, women with severe PMS had more negative moods and lower brain activity than the control group.

## What it means for you

PMS symptoms might come from nervous systems that are always more active, plus a drop in brain activity right before the period. But we don't know if this pattern causes the symptoms or if symptoms cause the pattern. The study was small and measured activity only at a few points, so the full picture is unclear.

20

women with severe PMS

20

women without PMS

## About the study

Original title Psychological and physiological changes in severe premenstrual syndrome Authors Asso D, Magos A Journal Biological psychology Year 1992 Study design Survey study Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/0301-0511(92)90027-r](https://doi.org/10.1016/0301-0511(92)90027-r)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)

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