Researchers in Barcelona found a brain pattern linked to higher progesterone. The finding may help explain mood changes during the menstrual cycle and lead to more tailored care.
Higher progesterone levels may make it harder for the brain to tell simple emotional situations from complex ones. A study led by the University of Barcelona links this pattern to lower mood. It offers a possible explanation for why some women experience marked emotional changes during the menstrual cycle.
The study involved 116 young, healthy women with natural menstrual cycles. None was using hormonal contraceptives. Published in Psychological Medicine, the research combined brain scans, saliva hormone analysis and multivoxel decoding techniques. The researchers used these methods to examine how participants processed emotional facial expressions. A University of Barcelona relay said the analysis compared brain responses across emotional situations instead of simply measuring how strongly participants reacted to individual faces.
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