Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
https://trends.org.br/article/doi/10.1590/S2237-60892012000100003
Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Review Article

Neuropsychological performance and menstrual cycle: a literature review

Desempenho neuropsicológico e ciclo menstrual: revisão da literatura

Eliana Gonçalves V. Souza; Melissa G. Ramos; Cláudia Hara; Bárbara Perdigão Stumpf; Fábio L. Rocha

http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S2237-60892012000100003 Trends Psychiatry Psychother, vol.34, n1, p.5-12, 2012
PDF
SciELO
Downloads: 0
Views: 526

Abstract

Approximately 80% of all women of reproductive age experience psychological and physical changes associated with the premenstrual phase. Cognitive alterations are among the most common complaints. In this context, studies have assessed cognitive performance across the menstrual cycle in healthy women and also in women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The main objective of the present study was to review the literature on cognitive function in different phases of the menstrual cycle in women of reproductive age, both healthy and with PMS, in particular premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). We searched MEDLINE and LILACS databases. A total of 27 studies were selected. The studies used heterogeneous methodologies. Most studies suggested that healthy women show small fluctuations in cognitive performance across the menstrual cycle, with low performance scores in the luteal phase for visuospatial and motor skills, attention and concentration, verbal memory, visual memory, working memory, and reaction time. Among women with PMS or PMDD, low performance scores for visuospatial and motor skills, attention and concentration, verbal memory, working memory, reaction time and impulsivity were also detected in the luteal phase. Symptoms observed in PMS/PMDD patients showed low intensity, but greater when compared with healthy women. Evidence indicates fluctuations in cognitive performance in the different phases of the menstrual cycle in healthy and PMS women, with worse performance for women with PMS/PMDD in the luteal phase. However, methodological limitations prevent us from drawing solid conclusions. Further studies are needed to investigate the impact of these cognitive fluctuations on patients' daily activities.

Keywords

Premenstrual syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, cognitive functioning, impulsivity, attention, executive functions

Resumo

Cerca de 80% das mulheres em idade fértil apresentam alterações psicológicas e físicas associadas à fase pré-menstrual. Dentre as queixas mais comuns estão as alterações cognitivas. Nesse contexto, tem-se estudado o desempenho cognitivo ao longo do ciclo menstrual de mulheres com e sem síndrome pré-menstrual (SPM). O objetivo principal deste estudo foi revisar a literatura acerca do desempenho das funções cognitivas nas diferentes fases do ciclo menstrual de mulheres em idade reprodutiva, sadias ou portadoras de SPM, em particular o transtorno disfórico pré-menstrual (TDPM). Foram revisadas as bases de dados MEDLINE e LILACS. Um total de 27 estudos foram selecionados. Os estudos eram heterogêneos em suas metodologias. Em sua maioria, os trabalhos evidenciaram que mulheres sadias apresentam variações leves no desempenho cognitivo ao longo do ciclo menstrual, obtendo menor pontuação, durante a fase lútea, nas habilidades visuoespaciais e motoras, atenção e concentração, memória verbal, memória visual, memória de trabalho e tempo de reação. Entre as mulheres com SPM ou TDPM, foi identificada, na fase lútea, redução no desempenho das habilidades visuoespaciais e motoras, atenção e concentração, memória verbal, memória de trabalho, tempo de reação e impulsividade. Tais sintomas apresentaram intensidade leve, porém superior à observada em mulheres sadias. As evidências indicam a existência de variações no desempenho cognitivo ao longo das diferentes fases do ciclo menstrual de mulheres sadias ou com SPM, com desempenho cognitivo pior em mulheres com SPM/TDPM na fase lútea. Entretanto, limitações metodológicas impedem conclusões sólidas. Novos estudos são necessários para investigar o impacto dessas oscilações cognitivas nas atividades cotidianas dos pacientes.

Palavras-chave

Síndrome pré-menstrual, transtorno disfórico pré-menstrual, funcionamento cognitivo, impulsividade, atenção, funções executivas

References

Pearlstein T, Stone AB. Pemenstrual syndrome. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 1998;21:577-90.

Marvan ML, Escobedo C. Premenstrual symptomatology: role of prior knowledge about premenstrual syndrome. Psychosom Med. 1999;61:163-7.

Classificação Internacional de Doenças e Problemas Relacionados à Saúde: 10ª Revisão (CID-10). 1994.

practice bulletin: premenstrual syndrome. Int J Gynecol Obstet. 2001;73:183-91.

Borenstein JE, Dean BB, Endicott J, Wong J, Brown C, Dickerson V. Health and economic impact of the premenstrual syndrome. J Reprod Med. 2003;48:515-24.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: 4th edition (DSM-IV). 1995.

Steiner M, Steinberg S, Stewart D, Carter D, Berger C, Reid R. Fluoxetine in the treatment of premenstrual dysphoria. N Engl J Med. 1995;332:1529-34.

Solís-Ortiz S, Corsi-Cabrera M. Sustained attention is favored by progesterone during early luteal phase and visuo-spatial memory by estrogens during ovulatory phase in young women. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2008;33:989-98.

Maki PM, Rich JB, Rosenbaum RS. Implicit memory varies across the menstrual cycle: estrogen effects in young women. Neuropsychologia. 2002;40:518-29.

Epting LK, Overman WH. Sex-sensitive tasks in men and women: a search for performance fluctuations across the menstrual cycle. Behav Neurosci. 1998;112:1304-17.

Cockerill IM, Wormington JA, Nevill AM. Menstrual-cycle effects on mood and perceptual-motor performance. J Psychosom Res. 1994;38:763-71.

Matthews G, Ryan H. The expression of the 'pre-menstrual syndrome' in measures of mood and sustained attention. Ergonomics. 1994;37:1407-17.

Gordon HW, Lee PA. No difference in cognitive performance between phases of the menstrual cycle. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1993;18:521-31.

Lord T, Taylor K. Monthly fluctuation in task concentration in female college students. Percept Mot Skills. 1991;72:435-9.

Brugger P, Milicevic A, Regard M, Cook ND. Random-number generation and the menstrual cycle: preliminary evidence for a premenstrual alteration of frontal lobe functioning. Percept Mot Skills. 1993;77:915-21.

Phillips SM, Sherwin BB. Variations in memory function and sex steroid hormones across the menstrual cycle. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1992;17:497-506.

Hampson E. Estrogen-related variations in human spatial and articulatory-motor skills. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1990;15:97-111.

Hartley LR, Lyons D, Dunne M. Memory and menstrual cycle. Ergonomics. 1987;30:111-20.

Broverman DM, Vogel W, Klaiber EL, Majcher D, Shea D, Paul V. Changes in cognitive task performance across the menstrual cycle. J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1981;95:646-54.

Slade P, Jenner FA. Performance tests in different phases of the menstrual cycle. J Psychosom Res. 1980;24:5-8.

Golub S. The effect of premenstrual anxiety and depression on cognitive function. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1976;34:99-104.

Mordecai KL, Rubin LH, Maki PM. Effects of menstrual cycle phase and oral contraceptive use on verbal memory. Horm Behav. 2008;54:286-93.

Hatta T, Nagaya K. Menstrual cycle phase effects on memory and Stroop task performance. Arch Sex Behav. 2009;38:821-7.

Halari R, Hines M, Kumari V, Mehrotra R, Wheeler M, Ng V. Sex differences and individual differences in cognitive performance and their relationship to endogenous gonadal hormones and gonadotropins. Behav Neurosci. 2005;119:104-17.

Diener D, Greenstein FL, Turnbough PD. Cyclical variation in digit-span and visual-search performance in women differing in the severity of their premenstrual symptoms. Percept Mot Skills. 1992;74:67-76.

Keenan PA, Stern RA, Janowsky DS, Pedersen CA. Psychological aspects of premenstrual syndrome I: cognition and memory. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1992;17:179-87.

Morgan M, Rapkin AJ, D'Elia L, Reading A, Goldman L. Cognitive functioning in premenstrual syndrome. Obstet Gynecol. 1996;88:961-6.

Keenan PA, Lindamer LA, Jong SK. Menstrual phase-independent retrieval deficit in women with PMS. . .

Rapkin AJ, Chang LC, Reading AE. Mood and cognitive style in premenstrual syndrome. Obstet Gynecol. 1989;74:644-9.

Posthuma BW, Bass MJ, Bull SB, Nisker JA. Detecting changes in functional ability in women with premenstrual syndrome. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1987;156:275-8.

Morgan M, Rapkin A. Cognitive flexibility, reaction time, and attention in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder. J Gend Specif Med. 2002;5:28-36.

Man MS, MacMillan I, Scott J, Young AH. Mood, neuropsychological function and cognitions in premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Psychol Med. 1999;29:727-33.

Resnick A, Perry W, Parry B, Mostofi N, Udell C. Neuropsychological performance across the menstrual cycle in women with and without premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Psychiatry Res. 1998;77:147-58.

Reed SC, Levin FR, Evans SM. Changes in mood, cognitive performance and appetite in the late luteal and follicular phases of the menstrual cycle in women with and without PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). Horm Behav. 2008;54:185-93.

Ramos MG, Hara C, Rocha FL. Duloxetine treatment for women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder: a single blind trial. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2009;12:1081-8.

Sherwin BB. Estrogen and cognitive functioning in women. Endocr Rev. 2003;24:133-51.

616b28c7a9539535e265cd53 trends Articles
Links & Downloads
2238-0019 (Electronic)
Trends Psychiatry Psychother ©2024 All rights reserved.

Trends Psychiatry Psychother

Share this page
Page Sections