Menstrual and circadian variations in time perception in healthy women and women with premenstrual syndrome.

A time production test was performed in seven normal females and seven females with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). We used a time production test for six time intervals (6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60 s). Time production tests were performed at 08:00, 14:00 and 20:00 h in the follicular, early luteal and late luteal phases (LLP), respectively. The results are as follows. (1) Normal females showed diurnal variations in time production only in the follicular phase (FP). In this phase, they overproduced time at 08:00 h suggesting that the interval clock in normal females was slowest in the morning. (2) Normal females showed menstrual variations in time production only at 20:00 h. They overproduced time in the LLP suggesting that the interval clock in normal females was slowest in the LLP. (3) Neither diurnal nor menstrual variation was found in PMS subjects at any menstrual stage or at any time of the day. These results suggest that the interval timing system in normal females is under the control of ovarian steroid hormones and the circadian clock, but the control of ovarian steroid hormone or the circadian clock does not operate in PMS subjects.