Emotional change in female college students during menstrual cycle and its relationship with hormonal level

Abstract

Objective To explore the relationship between emotional change and hormonal levels in female college students during the menstrual cycle.Methods Menstrual distress questionnaire(MDQ) was used for emotional evaluation.Hormone samples were collected from saliva and were determined by HPLC.Results The scores of pain,concentration ability,behavioral change,autonomic reactions,water retention,negative emotion,eating habit(P0.01) and scores of arousal(P0.05) were significantly different between the early follicular phase and ovulatory phase in the subjects.Scores of water retention,eating habit(P0.01),and scores of arousal(P0.05) were significantly different between the ovulatory phase and luteal phase.Scores of pain,concentration ability,behavioral change,autonomic reactions,negative emotion and eating habit were significantly different between the early follicular phase and luteal phase(P0.01).Meanwhile,the subjects were divided into high score group and low score group according to the scores obtained based on 9 domains.In the early follicular phase,estrogen levels were significantly different between high score group and low score group on pain(P0.01);cortisol and estrogen levels were also significantly different between high score group and low score group on the concentration ability(P0.05).In the ovulatory phase,cortisol levels were significantly different between high score group and low score group on pain,water retention(P0.05),and arousal(P0.01);the same was true for the estrogen levels on concentration ability(P0.01) and for the progestorone levels on eating habit(P0.01).In the luteal phase,estrogen levels were significantly different between high score group and low score group on pain,autonomic reactions and negative emotion(P0.05);progestorone levels were significantly different on autonomic reactions,water retention,self-control ability,eating habit(P0.01) and on negative emotion(P0.05).Conclusion Hormonal levels in the saliva are related to emotion change in the menstrual cycle of female college students.Estrogen is positively and progesterone,cortisol are negatively correlated with emotion,suggesting that estrogen,progestorone and cortisol can regulate emotion in healthy subjects as well.