Subtle persistent working memory and selective attention deficits in women with premenstrual syndrome.
As a recurrent, cyclical phenomenon, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affects a significant proportion of women of the reproductive age, and leads to regular monthly days of functional impairment. Symptoms of PMS include somatic and psychological symptoms, such as headaches, sleep disturbances, social withdrawal and mood changes, during the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, which alleviate during the follicular phase. This study investigated neurocognitive functioning in women with moderate to severe PMS symptoms (n=13) compared to women with mild/no PMS (n=27) through administration of a battery of neuropsychological tests during the asymptomatic follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Relative to women with mild/no PMS symptoms, women with moderate to severe PMS showed significantly poorer accuracy and more errors of omission on the N-0-back, as well as more errors of omission on the N-2-back task, indicating the presence of impairment in selective attention and working memory. This study provides evidence of persistent, subtle working memory and selective attention difficulties in those with moderate to severe PMS during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle.
Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, 100 West 5th Street, Suite C124, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8N 3K7; MiNDS Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON, Canada. Electronic address: slyepcha@mcmaster.ca.
Anastasiya
A
Slyepchenko
Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, 100 West 5th Street, Suite C124, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8N 3K7; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, 123 Edward St. Suite 1200, Toronto, ON, Canada. Electronic address: sonali.lokuge@medportal.ca.
Sonali
S
Lokuge
Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, 100 West 5th Street, Suite C124, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8N 3K7. Electronic address: brianne.s.nicholls@gmail.com.
Brianne
B
Nicholls
Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, 100 West 5th Street, Suite C124, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8N 3K7; MiNDS Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON, Canada. Electronic address: mst@mcmaster.ca.
Meir
M
Steiner
MiNDS Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON, Canada. Electronic address: hallg@mcmaster.ca.
Geoffrey B C
GB
Hall
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada. Electronic address: claunsoares@gmail.com.
Claudio N
CN
Soares
Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, 100 West 5th Street, Suite C124, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8N 3K7; MiNDS Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON, Canada; Mood Disorders Program, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, 100 West 5th St, Hamilton, ON, Canada. Electronic address: freybn@mcmaster.ca.
Benicio N
BN
Frey
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008183:Luteal Phase / Q000523:psychology; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
Cognition; Menstrual cycle; Premenstrual syndrome; Working memory