The menstrual cycle is a normal physiological process that all women experience and is characterised by tightly orchestrated changes in the levels of ovarian estrogen and progesterone. Researchers have confirmed that diverse body systems (e.g., cardiovascular system, central nervous system, endocrine system, female reproductive system, and immune system) are replete with estrogen receptors and that progesterone also acts on numerous tissues. Therefore, cyclically fluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone have a significant biological effect on the female body, one with both physical and emotional ramifications. Studies related to the impacts of the menstrual cycle on women’s emotional changes have been primarily conducted among patients who suffer from premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and its severe predominantly psychological form: premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
As mentioned, menstruation is governed by estrogen and progesterone. Researchers have found that these two reproductive hormones may have an impact on the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, and thus may have effects on emotion processing and regulation. Thus, in the current study, we used skin conductance level (SCL) as the physiological index of emotion regulation effects, which was widely used in the emotion regulation paradigm with sad film clips as emotion-inducing stimuli.
