Autonomic reactivity in the premenstrual phase.

The aim of the present experiment was to determine the effects of the premenstrual cycle phase on autonomic arousal. In a repeated measurement study 40 female subjects were tested premenstrually and postmenstrually for their autonomic reactivity during stress (cold pressor test, mental arithmetic) and for their acquisition of conditioned electrodermal responses, using a standardized auditory conditioning procedure. None of the differences between the cycle phases were significant. Similar results were obtained in the subjects' answers in a mood adjective list and their stimulus ratings. There was a general decrease in autonomic reactivity from the first to the second recording session, independent of the menstrual cycle periods.