Study, 2017
Does menstrual cycle phase affect how the brain responds to rewards when a woman is under stress?
Yes, in complex ways. Cycle phase affects brain sensitivity to feedback and rewards, and stress also changes reward processing. The effects depend on both the phase and the presence of stress.
What they did
Women with regular menstrual cycles attended two sessions: one during late follicular phase and one during late luteal phase. In each session they performed a task involving monetary rewards while researchers measured brain activity using EEG. Half the time they did the task under normal conditions and half under acute stress.
What they found
During late follicular phase, the brain showed stronger responses to bad performance outcomes. During late luteal phase in control conditions, the brain showed stronger responses to good performance outcomes and potential rewards. Stress decreased the brain's preparation during reward anticipation but increased attention to rewards during positive outcomes. Late luteal phase did not show increased sensitivity to stress compared to late follicular phase.
What it means for you
The menstrual cycle affects how the brain processes rewards and feedback in ways that might explain mood changes during the cycle. This is a controlled laboratory study with brain imaging rather than a real-world study of mood or behavior. The sample size is not reported.
About the study
- Original title
- The combined effects of menstrual cycle phase and acute stress on reward-related processing
- Authors
- Banis S, Lorist MM
- Journal
- Biological psychology
- Year
- 2017
- Study design
- Study
- What was tested
- Monetary reward task performed during different menstrual cycle phases with and without acute stress
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.02.005