Case-control study, 2012
Do women with PMDD have working memory problems linked to concentration and irritability?
Yes. Women with PMDD perform worse on working memory tasks during the luteal phase, and this decline is linked to difficulty concentrating, irritability, and reduced daily functioning.
What they did
Case-control study of 60 women with PMDD and 60 healthy controls. Participants performed working memory tasks (N2 and N3 back tasks) during both luteal and follicular phases and reported symptom severity.
What they found
The PMDD group performed significantly worse on N2 and N3 back tasks during the luteal phase but not the follicular phase. Performance on these tasks was significantly associated with irritability, symptom severity, and functional impairment in the PMDD group.
What it means for you
Working memory problems during the luteal phase may explain why women with PMDD report concentration difficulties, which contributes to reduced daily functioning. Interventions to support memory and concentration could help manage symptoms.
60
women with PMDD
60
healthy controls
About the study
- Original title
- Working memory deficit in premenstrual dysphoric disorder and its associations with difficulty in concentrating and irritability
- Authors
- Yen JY, Chang SJ, Long CY et al.
- Journal
- Comprehensive psychiatry
- Year
- 2012
- Study design
- Case-control study
- Participants
- 60
- What was tested
- Working memory tasks
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2011.05.016
Topics
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