Mental Imagery in Menstrual Cycle Phases

Comparison of Mental Imagery Ability According to Menstrual Cycle Phases

Hormonal fluctuations occur during the menstrual cycle and can affect cognition. For example, an increase in estrogen levels has been reported to temporarily enhance auditory perception of newly formed stimuli. It has been suggested that fluctuations in hormone levels can alter cognitive performance throughout the menstrual cycle because these fluctuations impact the neurobiology of the brain regions involved in cognition and emotion processing. Mental imagery (MI) refers to the mental process in which an individual imagines performing a movement without actually executing the movement. The effects of hormonal fluctuations on cognitive-perceptual skills have been mentioned above. In light of the above information, this study was planned to examine the relationship between menstrual symptom characteristics and mental imagery ability and to compare women s mental imagery abilities according to the phases of the menstrual cycle.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Menstruation; Menstrual Cycles; Mental Imagery
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Since this was an observational study, no intervention was performed.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 168

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • İzmir, Turkey, 35330
    • Izmir University of Economics

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

The universe of the study consists of female students studying at Izmir University of Economics. With the permission of the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences of Izmir University of Economics, an announcement e-mail will be sent to all female students to inform them about the study and a list of volunteers will be created via the participation link. 151 female students who meet the study criteria will be included with the systematic sampling method. An "Informed Volunteer Consent Form" will be obtained from individuals who accept to participate in the study.

Description

Inclusion criteria

• Being a woman between the ages of 18-25,
• Having a regular menstrual cycle,
• Being a volunteer Exclusion criteria
• Using neuropsychiatric medication that may affect perception and cognitive skills.

People who do not participate in any of the four assessments will be excluded from the study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Intervention / Treatment

menstrual cycle monitoring group; Female students between 18-25 with regular menstrual cycles

Other: Since this was an observational study, no intervention was performed.; Since it is an observational study, only evaluation will be made. Each participant s mental imagery ability will be evaluated with the Movement Imagery Vividness Questionnaire-2 four times, follicular phase, ovulation, luteal phase and menstrual phase. In addition, the pain intensity experienced during menstruation will be evaluated with the Numerical Classification Scale-11, and the symptoms experienced due to menstruation will be evaluated with the Menstruation Symptom Scale.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Motor Imagery Skill	The Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire-2 will be used to assess the vividness of participants' movement imagery ability. In the questionnaire, a total of 12 different actions are imagined, and the questionnaire has three subscales (Internal Visual Imagery, External Visual Imagery, and Kinesthetic Imagery). A 5-point Likert scale (1: Perfectly clear and vivid as a normal vision - 5: No image at all: Only know you are thinking of the movement) is used to score each action, and the total score for each subscale ranges from 1 to 60.	In 1 month period

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Menstrual Symptoms	The Menstruation Symptom Scale is one of the scales that evaluates the symptoms experienced due to menstruation in detail. It is a five-point Likert-type scale consisting of twenty-four items. Participants are asked to give a number between 1 (never) and 5 (always) to the symptoms they experience related to menstruation. The MSÖ score is calculated by taking the total score average of the items in the scale. An increase in the score average indicates an increase in the severity of menstrual symptoms. The scale has three sub-dimensions: 'Negative Effects/Somatic Complaints', 'Menstrual Pain' and 'Abdominal Pain'. The score obtained from the sub-dimensions is calculated by taking the total score average of the items in the sub-dimensions.	at baseline
Menstrual Pain	The numbered classification scale-11 (NSS-11) (0-10) will be used to evaluate menstrual pain. It is a practical and simple method recommended to evaluate the severity and variations of menstrual pain. The participant will be asked to give a score between 0-10 for the severity of pain they perceive/feel during menstruation. "0 means no complaints", "10 means very severe complaints"	at baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Izmir University of Economics
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Seda Yakıt Yeşilyurt, PhD, Izmir University of Economics

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 1, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): March 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 29, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 15, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): August 16, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 11, 2025
• Last Verified: August 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: B.30.2.İEÜSB.0.05.05-20-291

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No