Why menstruation does not affect cognitive activity
A very common myth around menstruation is that it affects cognitive activity. Find out why this is not true.
Designer CWP October 13, 2018 No Comments Have you ever heard all the symptoms of your patients when they have their menstruation period? You’ve probably encountered abdominal pain, mood swings, and breast pain. But there are also others that are just myths and many of your patients believe they are real. Myths about menstruation A study carried out by members of the University of Zurich, in Switzerland, revealed that the menstrual cycle does not affect cognitive functioning. Naturally, this period involves an inevitable rise and fall of three main hormones: Estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. While it is true that the imbalance of these substances has a proven relationship with mood changes, it does not have a proven relationship with cognitive symptoms that can include brain fog. Within this study, researchers tested 88 women of reproductive age who had regular menstrual cycles. The women took tests at four times during their menstrual period to measure: • Attention • Cognitive bias • Memory The results showed that changes in estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels affected cognitive bias and attention, but the finding could not be replicated. In a subsequent test, 68 of these women were analyzed during a second menstrual cycle. And the results showed no evidence of a relationship between hormonal changes and an impact on attention, cognitive bias and memory. More studies According to researchers, menstruation is unlikely to affect women’s brain power and development. However, they also recognized that there may be exceptions for women. s who do experience it due to hormonal change. The next step will be to conduct research that includes a larger number of women and considers women with hormonal disorders. On some occasions, your patients may believe that menstruation has other effects and is only a problem of predisposition. Encourage them to give their best at any time to prevent this natural cycle from affecting their performance and their lives. If you want advice on this and other topics, click here.
