Mood and cognitive style in premenstrual syndrome

Women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) report symptoms that resemble those of affective disorder. In depression, there is an alteration in cognitive processing and performance such that dysphoric material is retrieved more readily and the ability to concentrate and sustain attention and motivation is impaired. To determine whether PMS leads to changes in information processing similar to those accompanying depression, ten subjects with PMS and nine controls were subjected to psychological testing, selective and incidental recall tests, and measures of cognitive performance during the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. Women with PMS failed to show the characteristic cognitive changes that usually accompany depression. Despite substantial symptomatology, there were no significant differences in cognitive functioning between PMS subjects and controls.