Crying, oral contraceptive use and the menstrual cycle

Area of Science:

• Neurobiology
• Psychosocial behavior
• Human physiology

Background:

• Crying is a complex behavior with limited research regarding its connection to the menstrual cycle.
• Understanding crying's relationship to hormonal fluctuations is crucial for women's health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between menstrual cycle phases and crying proneness and frequency in women.
• To explore how oral contraceptive use influences crying patterns throughout the menstrual cycle.

Main Methods:

• The Mood and Daily Life (MiDL) study involved 76 Canadian women (aged 18-43) who tracked crying proneness and frequency daily for six months.
• Menstrual cycle phases were recorded concurrently with crying data.

Main Results:

• Crying proneness was highest during the premenstruum, lower during menses, and lowest during mid-cycle, with small but significant differences.
• Actual crying frequency did not significantly differ across menstrual cycle phases.
• Oral contraceptive use did not alter the observed relationships between menstrual cycle phase and crying variables.

Conclusions:

• Women may experience increased crying proneness premenstrually without a corresponding increase in actual crying episodes.
• Significant individual variability exists in crying patterns relative to the menstrual cycle.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the neurobiological underpinnings of these observed patterns.