Women with PMS demonstrate better memory skills

Posted on Dec 31st 2006 7:15AM by Bethany Sanders

There's always a silver lining, right? Women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome rarely have anything good to say about it, but now it appears that there may be a benefit to having the disorder -- better memory and increased awareness. Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas recently did a study involving women at different points in their menstrual cycle. Some of the women suffered from premenstrual syndrome and others did not.

What they found is that women who suffered from the syndrome had better recall and recognition skills during parts of their cycle than women who did not have PMS. The women who scored better on the tests showed an increased sensitivity to their environment, something that is key to memory performance. Researchers believe this finding may be due to fluctuating hormones or increased levels of serotonin. Interesting!

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Tags: memory, premenstrual syndrome, PremenstrualSyndrome, University of Dallas at Texas, UniversityOfDallasAtTexas

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Alvin 12-31-2006 @ 12:11PM

That must be why they remember everything you ever did wrong about that time.

Cathy 1-05-2007 @ 8:35PM

Well of course PMS increases memory and awareness! I always remember my PMS and am unequivocally aware of the pain searing through my abdomin! And as for being sensitive towards my environment, I've yet to meet the woman more sensitive to her environment during PMS than I! And yet, right now, I wonder what good would have come about if the University of Texas had contributed their resources to study incurable diseases or possible solutions to the impoverished of America rather than to ascertain what I, and I dare say many women already knew.

AB 1-05-2007 @ 8:39PM

They may be able to remember the 'environment' but what about the 'details'?!

April 1-05-2007 @ 8:57PM

Yep, I concur. I definitely have a heightened awareness when I'm PMSing. I also have heightened energy for some reason.

charlie 1-05-2007 @ 8:53PM

Put much nicer then I would have said it..
I agree with Alvin

Ann 1-05-2007 @ 8:55PM

Very funny and far too true Alvin. I can believe that the heightened sense improves memory and I have debilitating PMS.

Julie Jones 1-05-2007 @ 9:06PM

I always said that everybody got what they deserved when I had PMS, now I know that it must be true.

bob 1-05-2007 @ 9:42PM

hell yeah, pardon my french, they remember everything better, my ex every time she had PMS would get "historical" on me. every wrong i had ever done or she perceived i had done to her got dredged up every month. need i say more?

Mindy 1-05-2007 @ 9:44PM

I, too, have this problem. Alvin, my guy seems to think that I have a problem with details, too...it's when I remember something that he's oblivious to that he asks "were you even there. Do you know what happened? You got mad at me...you were'nt pointing out that curb I ran into..." , he squaks. I reply, "No, I got mad cause you were driving, didn't see the curb that was clearly in front of you, and refused to turn the car when I pointed it out. For that I am mad at you...your actions and your reaction to my observation made me mad...idiot."

Bethany 1-05-2007 @ 9:47PM

I appreciate everyone's comments, but before this becomes a "woman on PMS" bashing forum, let me point something out:

It's my understanding that the study says that it's women that suffer from PMS that have the higher sense of awareness compared from women that don't. I don't think that it necessarily means that it happens WHILE they are suffering it. In fact, the article pointed out that the part of their cycle that memory was found to be the best was a few days after menstruation.

Ok, just wanted to point that out. Carry on...

Kyleann Moore 1-05-2007 @ 9:50PM

Well, I can say this much about PMS!!! By the time you all reach menopause you forget everything anyway! The hotflashes just melt your brain, and most of us have sleeping problems! That is because we're up trying to remember what we forgot! As far as the PMS, yep I had extra energy all right, looking for teenager's!!! Now that everyone is older who remember's!!!!! And now my kids are calling me everytime I turn around to make sure I'm alright!! Now it's payback for them!!! The best thing I found that worked on my PMS was a trip to the Chiropacter and lots of walking up and down the hills and a Snickers bar at 4pm everyday!!! Keep the chocolate level even!!!!

MAK 1-05-2007 @ 9:54PM

LOL to all of the above! I suppose ya gotta be hypervigilant during that time so as to dodge mean people and other projectiles. SHoot-everything hurts!

MAK 1-05-2007 @ 9:58PM

Oh-I found the horseshoe in one of the AOL headlines right away and I have PMS!!

MAK 1-05-2007 @ 10:05PM

Also, at least in my case, my period only begins if during my PMS I have a good hard cry. Prostaglandins or something. Then the PMS goes away as soon as period starts.

Teisa Tupou-Pati 1-05-2007 @ 10:29PM

You all are very funny with your comments

Myra 1-05-2007 @ 10:27PM

PMS decreases seretonin. That's why women complain of being irritable and often get migraines (caused by the same thing).

shawna marie 1-05-2007 @ 11:28PM

as one with pms i have to say , there is nothing more irritarting
than beeing so irritable as to be on your own nerves. lock me in a closet do not approach till the chocolate is gone! then wave a choccolate flag if i eat it run far and fast. if i laugh set me free.
i'll play nice again.

Andre 1-06-2007 @ 1:33AM

It appears that women welcome this time of the month. The unwritten law is for men to back off and submit themselves to a woman's demonic abuse of masculinity. Ladies, your hormones (horrormones) can easily be balanced, and stay balanced, if you want them to be. Admit it, you enjoy the autonomy of male-bashing.

Jackie 1-06-2007 @ 3:58AM

The problem with the way our society views PMS can be summed up with Andre's rant. I hate to tell you, but women don't act like demonic creatures and don't resort to male-bashing during this time of month. Every woman is different, don't lump us together. We don't use it as an "excuse" to be a bitch. People should read the actual research done on "PMS." I think you'd be surprised to find that not only are women not more moody during this time, but PMS doesn't even happen to every woman, and some scientists aren't sure it really exists. I'm also not sure how we can balance our own hormones simple because we want them to. But speaking of hormones, it's getting old blaming women's hormones for anything that goes wrong in your day.

Sara 1-06-2007 @ 4:18AM

This article did not say women have better memory skills while they HAVE PMS, but rather women who tend to have PMS demonstrate better memory IN GENERAL, not while they actually have it. So to the ignorants who claim their ex-girlfriend was rude while she had PMS, please know what you're talking about before speaking. Most women are not more moody during this time, people are only more likely to notice it while we claim to be PMS'ing. In reality, (for the most part) a woman is no more likely to have mood swings during PMS than any other point during the month. So don't assume a woman has PMS because she's not currently optimistic. I also love it how men like to pretend THEY never have bad moods.

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