背景:大多数月经周期活跃的人在月经前几天会出现一系列厌恶症状(例如注意力集中能力降低)-经前综合症(PMS)。PMS的生物学和认知机制知之甚少。研究表明,迷走神经介导的心率变异性(vmHRV),自我调节的生理标志,仅在具有高PMS症状的个体中,在受PMS影响的周期阶段(黄体期)降低。本研究调查了vmHRV,PMS症状学和认知自我调节(注意控制)。
方法:在这项受试者间研究中,参与者通过心电图完成了vmHRV基线测量,测量注意力控制的反应时间范例(修改后的注意力网络测试,ANT-R)并填写了有关PMS影响以及当前月经期的调查表。
结果:混合模型分析显示了假设方向上的相互作用效应。仅在PMS较高的个体中,黄体期VmHRV降低。类似地,与卵泡期相比,仅在PMS症状增加的个体中,黄体中ANT-R任务的执行功能表现降低.在定向网络评分中未发现影响。
结论:结果指向vmHRV,PMS和自我调节。这可能暗示了共同的潜在机制。进一步研究,然而,必须进行检查因果途径以确认这些关联。
BACKGROUND: Most persons with an active menstrual cycle suffer from a range of aversive symptoms (e.g. reduced ability to concentrate) in the days before their menstruation - the premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Biological and cognitive mechanisms of PMS are poorly understood. It has been shown that vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV), a physiological marker of self-regulation, decreases during the PMS-affected cycle phase (luteal phase) only in individuals with high PMS symptomology. This study investigates the specific associations between vmHRV, PMS symptomology and cognitive self-regulation (attentional control).
METHODS: In this between-subject study, participants completed an vmHRV baseline measurement through electrocardiography, a reaction time paradigm to measure attentional control (modified attention network test revised, ANT-R) and filled out a questionnaire regarding impact of PMS as well as current menstrual phase.
RESULTS: Mixed Model analysis showed interactions effects in the hypothesized direction. VmHRV was decreased during the luteal phase only in individuals with higher PMS. Analogously, performance in the Executive Functioning of the ANT-R task was reduced in the luteal compared to the follicular phase only in individuals with increased PMS symptoms. No effects were found in the Orienting Network Score.
CONCLUSIONS: The results point in the direction of associations between vmHRV, PMS and self-regulation. This could hint at common underlying mechanisms. Further research, however, must be conducted to examine causal pathways to confirm these associations.