--- title: Does yoga help women with PMS reduce their focus on negative thoughts? description: Yes, 12 weeks of regular yoga reduced how much women with PMS focused on negative information and changed brain activity patterns involved in attention. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/regular-yoga-modulates-attention-bias-during-the-luteal-phase-in-women-with-2025/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does yoga help women with PMS reduce their focus on negative thoughts? Randomised trial, 2025 # Does yoga help women with PMS reduce their focus on negative thoughts? Yes, 12 weeks of regular yoga reduced how much women with PMS focused on negative information and changed brain activity patterns involved in attention. Moderate study design 64 women with premenstrual syndrome ## What they did Randomized controlled trial with 64 women with PMS (32 did yoga for 12 weeks, 32 did no special activity). Researchers used a visual attention task and brain imaging to measure how much women focused on negative versus positive information. ## What they found After 12 weeks, the yoga group showed significant improvements in attention orientation and how quickly they looked away from negative information compared to control. Brain imaging showed significant reductions in specific brain components (P1 and P3). These brain changes were linked to the attention improvements. ## What it means for you Yoga may help PMS partly by changing how the brain processes negative information. The main limitations are the small sample size and the use of specialized brain measurement equipment. 64 women with PMS 32 in yoga group 12 weeks of yoga ## About the study Original title Regular Yoga Modulates Attention Bias During the Luteal Phase in Women with Premenstrual Syndrome Authors Li X, Li D, Liu Y et al. Journal Brain sciences Year 2025 Study design Randomised trial Participants 32 What was tested 12-week regular yoga program Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16010036](https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16010036) Original abstract Objectives : Women with Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) tend to exhibit an excessive attention bias toward negative stimuli during the luteal phase. This study intends to investigate the effect of regular yoga on attention bias of women with PMS during the luteal phase and explore the mechanisms underlying such changes. Methods: Sixty-four women with PMS were recruited, coded and randomly assigned to either a 12-week yoga group (n = 32) or a control group (n = 32). The dot-probe task was used to assess attention bias at baseline and 12 weeks later. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 27.0 software, with analytical methods including descriptive statistics, repeated-measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA), simple effect analysis, cluster-based permutation test and Pearson correlation analysis. The Holm-Bonferroni method was used to correct for multiple comparison errors. Results: RM-ANOVA revealed significant time × group interaction effects for attention orientation, attention disengagement, P1 component, and P3 component. Simple effect analysis indicated that, compared with the control group, the yoga group exhibited significant modulations in attention orientation (t = -7.33, p p p p = 0.002) after 12 weeks of intervention. Cluster-based permutation tests demonstrated that the yoga group showed significant reductions in P1 and P3 amplitudes after 12 weeks. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that attention orientation was significantly negatively correlated with P1 amplitude, while attention disengagement was significantly positively correlated with P3 amplitude. Conclusion: Regular yoga can regulate the behavioral indicators and electroencephalographic (EEG) indicators related to attention bias and exerts a positive effect on modulating attention bias toward negative stimuli in women with PMS during the luteal phase. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/) 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 Review, 2001 What are PMS and PMDD, and how are they treated? Systematic review, 2026 Can mindfulness, yoga or qigong help with PMS symptoms? Lab study, 2025 Does yogic pilates and breathing exercises help PMS symptoms? Cohort study, 2023 Does recreational physical exercise reduce premenstrual symptoms in teenage girls? Cohort study, 2022 What are PMS and PMDD and how should they be diagnosed and treated? Non-randomised trial, 2020 What treatments help premenstrual syndrome? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗