The Effect of Women's Sexual Cycles on Executive Functions and Emotional Recognition

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of women's sexual cycles on executive functions and emotional recognition.

The present study is a descriptive causal-comparative study that studied a group of women in three sexual stages (bleeding, follicular, and luteal). The research sample consisted of 30 healthy female volunteers aged 20 to 40 years from the city of Isfahan who were selected from Isfahan by available means and according to the inclusion criteria. Data collection tools included Wisconsin Card Classification Test software, Stroop Test software, NBK test software, and Montania et al. (2007) Emotion Recognition Scale.

According to the results of repeated measures analysis of variance, there was no difference in executive functions and recognition of facial emotion in different sexual cycles in healthy Iranian women aged 20 to 40 years.

Given that recent findings with brain imaging technologies have shown that hormone levels in the brain affect both brain structure and function, further studies with more accurate tools to determine the effects of hormones on cognitive and executive functions And face processing is necessary. Because, these differences seem to be so subtle that tools such as the tests used in this study, could not detect it.