The Effect of Premenstrual Syndrome on Short Term, Long Term and Prospective Memory in Affected Women

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Prof., Department of Psychology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Instructor, Department of Psychology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction:Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) has various effects on the life style of women. Our aim was to study the effect of PMS on long term, short term and prospective memory of affected individuals.
Methods:This experimental and field study enrolled 60 women suffering from PMS who were tested before and after menstrual cycle. The mean age of participants was 33 years old. For the test of long and short term memory we used 30 word learning task (30-WLT). The prospective memory was tested by performing a specified action. The obtained results were analyzed with t-test and covariance analysis.
Results:The obtained results in this research showed that PMS decreased short and long term memory functions (p<0.001), but it did not affect the prospective memory.
Conclusion:PMS is not only a kind of mood disorder that results in memory dysfunction but also may be accompanied by diseases as its background. So, the control and treatment of the various psychological and physical complications of PMS, as one of the most common conditions affecting women, are recommended to improve the achievements in the fields of work, education and social interactions.

Keywords

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