Variations Across the Menstrual Cycle in EEG Activity During Thinking and Mental Relaxation

1999 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Krug ◽  
M. Mölle ◽  
H.L. Fehm ◽  
J. Born
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Spectral Power ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Menstrual Phase ◽  
Convergent Thinking ◽  
Eeg Activity ◽  
Dimensional Complexity ◽  
Mental Relaxation

Abstract Previous studies have indicated: (1) peak performance on tests of divergent creative thinking during the ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle; (2) compared to convergent analytical thinking, divergent thinking was found to be associated with a distinctly increased dimensional complexity of ongoing EEG activity. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that cortical information processing during the ovulatory phase is characterized by an increased EEG dimensionality. Each of 16 women was tested on 3 occasions: during the ovulatory phase, the luteal phase, and menses. Presence of the phases was confirmed by determination of plasma concentrations of estradiol, progesterone, and luteinizing hormone. The EEG was recorded while the women performed: (1) tasks of divergent thinking; (2) tasks of convergent thinking; and (3) during mental relaxation. In addition to EEG dimensional complexity, conventional spectral power analysis was performed. Behavioral data confirmed enhanced creative performance during the ovulatory phase while convergent thinking did not vary across cycle phases. EEG complexity was higher during divergent than convergent thought, but this difference remained unaffected by the menstrual phase. Influences of the menstrual phase on EEG activity were most obvious during mental relaxation. In this condition, women during the ovulatory phase displayed highest EEG dimensionality as compared with the other cycle phases, with this effect being most prominent over the central and parietal cortex. Concurrently, power within the alpha frequency band as well as theta power at frontal and parietal leads were lower during the luteal than ovulatory phase. EEG results indicate that task demands of thinking overrode effects of menstrual cycle. However, with a less demanding situation, an ovulatory increase in EEG dimensionality became prominent suggesting a loosening of associative habits during this phase.

EVALUATION OF CHANGES IN CARDIORESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS DURING DIFFERENT PHASES OF THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE IN YOUNG WOMEN

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shehnaz Shaikh
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Luteal Phase ◽  
Uterine Wall ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Follicular Phase ◽  
Menstrual Phase ◽  
Granulose Cells ◽  
Efficiency Test

Introduction: Menstrual cycle or menstruation involved discharge of sanguinous fluid and a sloughing of uterine wall. In women menstruation occurs at regular intervals on an average of 28 days, although most women gave a history of regular intervals of 28 to 30 days. About 10% -15% of women showed cycle at the precise 28 ± 2 days intervals when menstrual calendar was utilized. Normally in young women in different phases of ovarian cycles the plasma levels of estrogen vary. Ovulation occurs in the first 12-13th day of menstrual cycle, which is termed estrogen surge and second occurs in mid-luteal phase. During mid cycle or follicular phase of menstrual cycle the plasma concentration of progesterone is very low about 0.9 ng/mL. its level starts rising owing to secretion from the granulose cells. During luteal phase progesterone level reaches its peak value of 18 ng/mL and its level fall to a minimum value toward the end of the cycle. Estrogen affects local and systemic vasodilation. The menstrual cycle envelops two fundamental stages, the follicular stage (FP) and the luteal stage (LP). The follicular stage can part advance into two substages; the early FP, which is characterised with moo concentrations of both the key hormones estrogen and progesterone; and the mid FP where estrogen is tall autonomously from progesterone. The LP is epitomized by tall concentration of both estrogen and progesterone. These two fundamental stages are isolated by a soak surge in luteinizing hormone activating ovulation. These recurrent changes are said to be frequency unsurprising while long time. Aim: The main aim of this study is to evaluate the Cardiorespiratory functions changes during different Phases of Menstrual Cycle.   Material and methods: In this study, 20 with normal weight, 20 with obese and 20 with overage were included and taken them as a sample size. In this study all the young women those were recruited as a sample size are unmarried, undergraduate female student with the between the age group of 18-22years, having regular 28+6 days menstrual cycle for at least last 6months prior to this study. For the collection of data all the participants were instructed to attend the physiology lab department during each of three different phases. Day-2 during menstrual phase, Day-7, during follicular phase and Day-22 during luteal phase and the following parameters were recorded as Anthropometric measurements, measuring of pulse rate and blood pressure and cardiac efficiency test. Result: In general, work out proficiency changed essentially amid the distinctive stages of the menstrual cycle with the most elevated amid luteal stage and least amid menstrualo stage. There was no critical contrast in impact test amid menstrual stage, follicular stage and luteal stage of menstrual cycle among three bunches of people. Conclusion: We have watched noteworthy increment in cardiac and respiratory proficiency within the luteal stage of the menstrual cycle in ordinary weight people. Lower wellness levels were watched in overweight and stout females. In this manner hone of customary work out and admissions of solid slim down which offer assistance in lessening the weight and in turn the BMI will offer assistance in improving the physical wellness of the people. Keywords: Cardiorespiratory, Menstrual cycle, expiratory blast test

Changes in copper and zinc plasma concentrations during the normal menstrual cycle in women

2009 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Constantinos Michos ◽  
Vasiliki Kalfakakou ◽  
Spyridon Karkabounas ◽  
Dimitrios Kiortsis ◽  
Aggelos Evangelou
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Copper And Zinc ◽  
Normal Menstrual Cycle

scholarly journals A preliminary study exploring the change in ankle joint laxity and general joint laxity during the menstrual cycle in cis women

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomomi Yamazaki ◽  
Sae Maruyama ◽  
Yuki Sato ◽  
Yukako Suzuki ◽  
Sohei Shimizu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Ankle Joint ◽  
Length Change ◽  
Joint Laxity ◽  
Anterior Talofibular Ligament ◽  
Menstrual Phase ◽  
Anterior Drawer ◽  
Linear Distance ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Early Follicular Phase

Abstract Background The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between ankle joint laxity and general joint laxity (GJL) in relation to the menstrual cycle, which was divided into four phases based on basal body temperature and ovulation, assessed using an ovulation kit. Methods Participants were 14 female college students (21–22 years) with normal menstrual cycles (cis gender). Anterior drawer stress to a magnitude of 120 N was applied for all participants. Anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) length was measured as the linear distance (mm) between its points of attachment on the lateral malleolus and talus using ultrasonography. Data on ATFL length from each subject were used to calculate each subject’s normalized length change with anterior drawer stress (AD%). The University of Tokyo method was used for evaluation of GJL. AD% and GJL were measured once in each menstrual phase. Results There was no statistically significant difference between AD% in each phase. GJL score was significantly higher in the ovulation and luteal phases compared with the early follicular phase. AD% and GJL showed a positive correlation with each other in the ovulation phase. Conclusions Although it is unclear whether estrogen receptors are present in the ATFL, the present study suggests that women with high GJL scores might be more sensitive to the effects of estrogen, resulting in ATFL length change in the ovulation phase.

scholarly journals Impact of Nutrition-Based Interventions on Athletic Performance during Menstrual Cycle Phases: A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6294
Author(s):  
Macy M. Helm ◽  
Graham R. McGinnis ◽  
Arpita Basu
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Athletic Performance ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Muscle Soreness ◽  
Anaerobic Power ◽  
Sex Hormone ◽  
Steady Increase ◽  
Menstrual Phase ◽  
Strength Performance ◽  
Exercise Induced

Despite the steady increase in female participation in sport over the last two decades, comprehensive research on interventions attenuating the influence of female menstrual physiology on performance remains scarce. Studies involving eumenorrheic women often only test in one menstrual phase to limit sex hormone variance, which may restrict the application of these findings to the rest of the menstrual cycle. The impacts of nutrition-based interventions on athletic performance throughout the menstrual cycle have not been fully elucidated. We addressed this gap by conducting a focused critical review of clinical studies that reported athletic outcomes as well as menstrual status for healthy eumenorrheic female participants. In total, 1443 articles were identified, and 23 articles were included. These articles were published between 2011 and 2021, and were retrieved from Google Scholar, Medline, and PubMed. Our literature search revealed that hydration-, micronutrient-, and phytochemical-based interventions can improve athletic performance (measured by aerobic capacity, anaerobic power, and strength performance) or attenuate exercise-induced damage (measured by dehydration biomarkers, muscle soreness, and bone resorption biomarkers). Most performance trials, however, only assessed these interventions in one menstrual phase, limiting the application throughout the entire menstrual cycle. Improvements in athletic performance through nutrition-based interventions may be contingent upon female sex hormone variation in eumenorrheic women.

scholarly journals Regular Vigorous-Intensity Physical Activity and Walking Are Associated with Divergent but Not Convergent Thinking in Japanese Young Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1046
Author(s):  
Chong Chen ◽  
Yasuhiro Mochizuki ◽  
Kosuke Hagiwara ◽  
Masako Hirotsu ◽  
Shin Nakagawa
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Aerobic Exercise ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Exercise Intervention ◽  
Convergent Thinking ◽  
Intervention Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vigorous Intensity

The beneficial effects of regular physical activity (PA) on cognitive functions have received much attention. Recent research suggests that regular PA may also enhance creative thinking, an indispensable cognitive factor for invention and innovation. However, at what intensity regular PA brings the most benefits to creative thinking remains uninvestigated. Furthermore, whether the levels of regular PA affect the acute PA effects on creative thinking is also unclear. In the present study, using a previous dataset that investigated the effects of an acute bout of aerobic exercise on creative thinking in healthy Japanese young adults (22.98 ± 1.95 years old) in the year 2020, we tested the association between different intensities of regular PA (i.e., vigorous, moderate, and walking) and creative thinking with the cross-sectional baseline data using multiple linear regression. We also investigated whether regular PA levels were associated with the acute aerobic exercise intervention effects on creative thinking. The results showed that cross-sectionally, the regular PAs were differentially associated with divergent but not convergent thinking. Specifically, whereas the amount of vigorous-intensity PA was positively associated with fluency and flexibility, the amount of walking was positively associated with novelty on the alternate uses test (AUT) measuring divergent thinking. Importantly, the explained variances of fluency, flexibility, and novelty were 20.3% (p = 0.040), 18.8% (p = 0.055), and 20.1% (p = 0.043), respectively. None of the regular PAs predicted convergent thinking (i.e., an insight problem-solving task), nor were they associated with the acute aerobic exercise intervention effects on divergent and convergent thinking. These findings suggest that engaging in regular vigorous-intensity PA and walking may be useful strategies to enhance different aspects of divergent thinking in daily life.

scholarly journals Menstrual Cycle and Surgical Treatment of Breast Cancer: Findings From the NCCTG N9431 Study

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (22) ◽  
pp. 3620-3626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clive S. Grant ◽  
James N. Ingle ◽  
Vera J. Suman ◽  
Daniel A. Dumesic ◽  
D. Lawrence Wickerham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Luteal Phase ◽  
Follicular Phase ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Adjuvant Radiation ◽  
Menstrual Phase ◽  
Menstrual Cycle Phase ◽  
Hormone Levels ◽  
Menstrual History

Purpose For nearly two decades, multiple retrospective reports, small prospective studies, and meta-analyses have arrived at conflicting results regarding the value of timing surgical intervention for breast cancer on the basis of menstrual cycle phase. We present the results of a multi–cooperative group, prospective, observational trial of menstrual cycle phase and outcome after breast cancer surgery, led by the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) in collaboration with the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) and the International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG). Patients and Methods Premenopausal women age 18 to 55 years, who were interviewed for menstrual history and who were surgically treated for stages I to II breast cancer, had serum drawn within 1 day of surgery for estradiol, progesterone, and luteinizing hormone levels. Menstrual history and hormone levels were used to determine menstrual phase: luteal, follicular, and other. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were determined by Kaplan-Meier method and were compared by using the log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard modeling. Results Of 1,118 women initially enrolled, 834 women comprised the study cohort: 230 (28%) in luteal phase; 363 (44%) in follicular phase; and 241 grouped as other. During a median follow-up of 6.6 years, and in analysis that accounted for nodal disease, estrogen receptor status, adjuvant radiation therapy or chemotherapy, neither DFS nor OS differed with respect to menstrual phase. The 5-year DFS rates were 82.7%, 82.1%, and 79.2% for follicular, luteal, or other phases, respectively. Corresponding OS survival rates were 91.9%, 92.2%, and 91.8%, respectively. Conclusion When menstrual cycle phases were strictly defined, neither DFS nor OS differed between women who underwent surgery during the follicular phase versus the luteal phase. Nearly 30% of the patients did not meet criteria for either follicular- or luteal-phase categories.

Performance Incentives, Divergent Thinking Training, and Creative Problem Solving

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-176
Author(s):  
Kun Huo
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Creative Problem Solving ◽  
Convergent Thinking ◽  
Performance Incentives ◽  
Incentive Schemes ◽  
Piece Rate ◽  
Divergent And Convergent Thinking ◽  
Creative Problem

ABSTRACT Creativity theory suggests that effective solutions to creative problems depend on both divergent and convergent thinking (Cropley 2006). Using an experiment in which participants solve insight problems, I investigate the effect of incentive schemes on creative problem-solving performance. I find that both piece-rate pay and a flat wage plus public recognition generate higher performance with divergent thinking training than without. Consistent with the idea that incentives may promote more convergent thinking than divergent thinking, piece-rate pay generates lower creative problem-solving performance than the flat wage in the absence of divergent thinking training (flat wage plus recognition has a neutral effect). The study suggests that when employee performance depends on creative problem solving, firms should implement incentive schemes and/or control systems that promote both divergent and convergent thinking.

scholarly journals Endogenous Oxytocin Levels in Relation to Food Intake, Menstrual Phase, and Age in Females

2018 ◽  
Vol 104 (4) ◽  
pp. 1348-1356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Aulinas ◽  
Reitumetse L Pulumo ◽  
Elisa Asanza ◽  
Christopher J Mancuso ◽  
Meghan Slattery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Eating Behavior ◽  
Caloric Intake ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Menstrual Phase ◽  
Menstrual Cycle Phase ◽  
Mixed Meal ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Healthy Females

Abstract Context Oxytocin regulates a range of physiological processes including eating behavior and oxytocin administration reduces caloric intake in males. There are few data on oxytocin and eating behavior in healthy females or on the response of endogenous oxytocin to food intake and its relationship to appetite in humans. Objectives To determine the postprandial pattern of oxytocin levels, the relationship between oxytocin and appetite, and the impact of menstrual cycle phase and age on oxytocin levels in females. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Clinical research center. Participants Fifty-five healthy females (age 10 to 45 years). Interventions A standardized mixed meal was administered. Main Outcome Measurements Blood sampling for oxytocin occurred at fasting and at 30, 60, and 120 minutes postmeal. Appetite was assessed using Visual Analogue Scales pre- and postmeal. Results Mean fasting oxytocin levels were 1011.2 ± 52.3 pg/mL (SEM) and decreased at 30 and 60 minutes postmeal (P = 0.001 and P = 0.003, respectively). Mean oxytocin levels decreased19.6% ± 3.0% from baseline to nadir. Oxytocin area under the curve was lower in the early to midfollicular menstrual cycle phase (P = 0.0003) and higher in younger females (P = 0.002). The percent change in oxytocin (baseline to nadir) was associated with postprandial hunger (rs = -0.291, P = 0.03) and fullness (rs = 0.345, P = 0.009). These relations remained significant after controlling for calories consumed, menstrual cycle status, and age (P = 0.023 and P = 0.0001, respectively). Conclusions Peripheral oxytocin levels in females decrease after a mixed meal and are associated with appetite independent of menstrual phase, age, and caloric intake, suggesting that endogenous oxytocin levels may play a role in perceived hunger and satiety.

scholarly journals Negative Mood Is Associated with Diet and Dietary Antioxidants in University Students During the Menstrual Cycle: A Cross-Sectional Study from Guangzhou, China

Antioxidants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Lingling Bu ◽  
Yuting Lai ◽  
Yingyan Deng ◽  
Chenlu Xiong ◽  
Fengying Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
University Students ◽  
Premenstrual Syndrome ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Menstrual Phase ◽  
Carbonated Beverage ◽  
The Relationship

Postpubescent females may have negative mood or premenstrual syndrome during the menstrual cycle; with the emotional and physical symptoms interfering with their quality of life. Little is known about the relationship of dietary behaviors and dietary antioxidant intake with negative mood or premenstrual syndrome in university students in China; so we explored the relationship between negative mood and dietary behavior in female university students during the three menstrual cycle phases. Random sampling was used to enroll 88 individuals from a university in Guangzhou; China in the study. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. During the menstrual phase, tea, black coffee and carbonated beverage intake was higher in the group with a high negative affect scale score than in the low score group (p < 0.05). Likewise; during the premenstrual phase, fresh fruit (banana and red Chinese dates) intake was higher in the group with a high negative affect scale score than in the low-score group (p < 0.05). The logistic regression analysis results showed that negative mood was positively associated with tea, coffee, and carbonated beverage intake during the menstrual phase (β = 0.21, p = 0.0453, odds ratio = 1.23), and negative mood was positively associated with banana and red Chinese dates intake during the premenstrual phase (β = 0.59, p = 0.0172, odds ratio = 1.81). Our results suggest that negative mood may be associated with diet and specific food in university postpubescent females.

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