--- title: Do women with severe PMS process rewards differently in the brain than women with mild PMS? description: Yes. Women with severe PMS showed stronger brain activity when expecting money, and different patterns of response compared to women with mild PMS. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/women-with-more-severe-premenstrual-syndrome-have-an-enhanced-anticipatory-2023/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with severe PMS process rewards differently in the brain than women with mild PMS? Study, 2023 # Do women with severe PMS process rewards differently in the brain than women with mild PMS? Yes. Women with severe PMS showed stronger brain activity when expecting money, and different patterns of response compared to women with mild PMS. Early or limited evidence 40 college women in their early twenties, 20 with high PMS and 20 with low PMS ## What they did College women in their early twenties completed a task where they could win money. One group had high premenstrual symptoms (n=20) and another had low symptoms (n=20). Brain activity was measured during the late luteal phase when PMS symptoms peak, using magnetoencephalography to record responses to reward cues and neutral cues. ## What they found Women with high PMS showed higher brain activity when shown cues for possible money gain, while women with low PMS showed lower activity. Women with high PMS had significantly higher overall brain activity. When expecting not to win money, women with high PMS showed lower brain activity than women with low PMS. ## What it means for you Women with more severe PMS may experience reward anticipation differently in the brain, which might explain cravings for certain foods during the menstrual cycle. The study is limited by its small sample size and measurement during only one phase of the cycle. 20 women with high PMS 20 women with low PMS early twenties age range ## About the study Original title Women with more severe premenstrual syndrome have an enhanced anticipatory reward processing: a magnetoencephalography study Authors Hou L, Meng Y, Gao J et al. Journal Archives of women's mental health Year 2023 Study design Study Participants 20 What was tested Monetary reward task during late luteal phase Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s00737-023-01368-3](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-023-01368-3) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/) 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, 2026 Does Kundalini Reiki help reduce PMS symptoms and improve quality of life? Randomised trial, 2026 Does calcium and vitamin D supplementation reduce PMS symptoms? Randomised trial, 2026 Does aerobic or resistance exercise reduce anxiety in women with PMS? Randomised trial, 2026 Does a warm footbath help PMS symptoms and sleep quality? Randomised trial, 2025 Which is more effective for PMS - Vitagnus, soy, or both together? Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗