Influence of premenstrual syndrome on attentional capture by expressions in the luteal phase

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is characterized by its high incidence and the presence of negative emotional symptoms during the luteal phase. While various studies suggest that the menstrual cycle affects emotional processing, the role of PMS has barely been investigated. Prior evidence suggests that...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Álvarez Sánchez, Fátima, Veiga Zarza, Estrella, Fernández Folgueiras, Uxía, Pita Domínguez, Miguel, Kessel, Dominique, Carretie Arangüena, Luis
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Repositorio:Biblos-e Archivo. Repositorio Institucional de la UAM
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.uam.es:10486/739760
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10486/739760
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105846
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Event-Related Potentials (ERPs)
N170
P1p
Emotional faces
Expressions
Attentional capture
Exogenous attention
Luteal phase
Menstrual cycle
Psicología
Descripción
Sumario:Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is characterized by its high incidence and the presence of negative emotional symptoms during the luteal phase. While various studies suggest that the menstrual cycle affects emotional processing, the role of PMS has barely been investigated. Prior evidence suggests that the menstrual cycle does not modulate the attentional capture by emotional faces. Building on this, the present study explores whether PMS may influence this process. To this end, forty-seven women performed an attentional capture task during both phases of the menstrual cycle, with emotional faces serving as distractors. Both behavioral performance and Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) were recorded. Additionally, premenstrual symptoms were monitored over two menstrual cycles. Results showed no significant interaction effect of PMS, either at the behavioral or ERP levels. However, emotional stimuli, particularly angry faces, consistently captured attention more than neutral ones, as reflected in enhanced P1 and N170 components. These results indicate no evidence that PMS modulates exogenous attention to emotional stimuli. Future studies should consider individual affective states, such as depressive and anxiety symptoms associated with PMS, rather than PMS as a category, to further investigate the potential effects of PMS on attentional capture