--- title: Do women and men respond differently to sudden loud noises, and does the menstrual cycle matter? description: The menstrual cycle affects how women respond to sudden loud sounds, but being female versus male alone does not clearly affect this. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-impact-of-sex-and-menstrual-cycle-on-the-acoustic-startle-response-2014/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women and men respond differently to sudden loud noises, and does the menstrual cycle matter? Study, 2014 # Do women and men respond differently to sudden loud noises, and does the menstrual cycle matter? The menstrual cycle affects how women respond to sudden loud sounds, but being female versus male alone does not clearly affect this. Moderate study design 111 women without hormonal contraceptives, 107 men, all healthy young adults ## What they did Researchers tested 111 women not using hormonal contraceptives and 107 men. They measured how much people jumped or flinched at sudden loud noise and how emotions affected this response across the menstrual cycle. ## What they found There was no clear overall difference between men and women in startle response. Women showed increased startle response during the late luteal phase and during ovulation. The increase during late luteal phase likely reflects higher negative emotions at that time. The increase during ovulation might reflect increased hearing sensitivity. ## What it means for you Your menstrual cycle, more than being female, influences how you react to sudden sounds. This may connect to emotional changes during different cycle phases. The study does not explain why these differences occur. 111 Women without hormonal contraceptives 107 Men ## About the study Original title The impact of sex and menstrual cycle on the acoustic startle response Authors Armbruster D, Strobel A, Kirschbaum C et al. Journal Behavioural brain research Year 2014 Study design Study Participants 111 What was tested Acoustic startle response testing Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2014.08.013](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2014.08.013) ## Topics [Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/) 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 Randomised trial, 2017 Does the combined oral contraceptive pill affect mood? Randomised trial, 1999 Does calcium reduce PMS symptoms? Cohort study, 1993 How common are premenstrual and menstrual symptoms in women? Survey study, 2023 Is PMDD diagnosis associated with more severe depression and anxiety and lower well-being? Survey study, 2021 Does the menstrual cycle affect women's ability to train and compete? Randomised trial, 2017 Does Sepranolone reduce symptoms of severe premenstrual syndrome (PMDD)? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗