Survey study, 1986
Does the nervous system work differently before your period and does this affect your mood?
Yes. Before your period, women had lower brain alertness and higher nervous system activity, which were linked to more negative moods.
What they did
Researchers tested 30 women twice: once right before their period and once in the middle of their cycle. They measured how alert their brain was and how their nervous system responded to stimulation.
What they found
Before the period, women showed lower brain alertness and higher nervous system reactivity. Before the period, how women perceived their nervous system activity was strongly linked to negative mood changes. In the middle of the cycle, brain alertness was high.
What it means for you
Changes in how your nervous system and brain work before your period might explain changes in your mood. The main limits are this is a very small study with only 30 women and was conducted in 1986.
30
women tested
2
cycle phases tested
About the study
- Original title
- The relationship between menstrual cycle changes in nervous system activity and psychological, behavioural and physical variables
- Authors
- Asso D
- Journal
- Biological psychology
- Year
- 1986
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 30
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/0301-0511(86)90089-x
Topics
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