Abstract

CASTILLO LOPEZ, Javier Antonio; CELY ANDRADE, José Leonardo  and  MANRIQUE-ABRIL, Fred G. Cognitive Performance in College Women throughout the Menstrual Cycle. Univ. Psychol. [online]. 2008, vol.7, n.1, pp.173-183. ISSN 1657-9267.

To determine whether fluctuations of estrogen levels across the menstrual cycle influence cognitive performance, 13 university women between 20 and 23 years old were tested in four cognitive tasks; verbal memory, visuo-spatial ability, short term memory and visuo-motor coordination, three times across a menstrual cycle. Radioimmunoassay tests were performed in order to determine the hormonal state. Significant differences were not found in visuo-spatial ability and visuo-motor coordination performance, but results suggest a better verbal memory performance associated with high estrogen levels; short term memory performance didn’t show to be sensitive to fluctuations in estrogen levels.

Keywords : Menstrual cycle; estradiol; verbal memory; visuo-spatial ability; short term memory; visuo-motor coordination; Higher education of women; Psychological aspects; Menstrual cycle; Cognitive psychology.

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