PMDD: Attention, Brain Fog, and Impulsivity
- Amy Simpson
- Aug 31
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 6
PMDD affects how the brain works every day. Beyond the well-known emotions and rage of the luteal phase, PMDD often brings cognitive symptoms like brain fog, poor focus, and difficulty making decisions across the entire cycle. Research shows real, measurable shifts in brain function that follow the rhythm of the menstrual cycle and are exacerbated in the luteal phase between ovulation and the first day of bleeding.
PMDD, brain fog, and attention.
Cognitive symptoms like brain fog, inattention and poor concentration are a significant symptom of PMDD. Research has shown that women with PMDD experience measurable changes in their capacity for attention across their cycle, particularly in the luteal phase (the two weeks before a period). In one study comparing women with and without PMDD, participants completed tasks that tested attention, decision-making, and emotional regulation. The results showed that those with PMDD had more difficulty focusing and were more prone to impulsive reactions, especially as they moved into the late luteal phase. These changes in cognitive function were linked to other common PMDD symptoms, such as irritability and mental fatigue. Even women who usually prefer thoughtful, deliberate decision-making found their strategies disrupted during this time, suggesting that PMDD may even temporarily impair well-developed coping strategies. Another study comparing those with and without PMDD found that those with PMDD experience greater inattention consistently across the entire menstrual cycle with an exacerbation of cognitive malfunctioning during late luteal.
PMDD and impulsivity
Researchers have found that the way women respond to emotions can influence the severity of their premenstrual symptoms. In particular, women who experience Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) showed greater emotion-driven impulsivity during the luteal phase (the week or so before bleeding begins) compared with women without PMDD. This means that PMDD is linked to sharper shifts in impulsive behaviour at certain times of the cycle, rather than a constant trait of being impulsive. Scientists believe this points to a sensitivity in the brain’s emotion-regulation pathways that is triggered by hormonal changes, helping explain why mood and behaviour can feel harder to control in the premenstrual window.
Understand the biology of PMDD and Brain Fog:
Next steps
Taken together, the science shows that PMDD doesn’t just affect mood, it also influences attention, decision-making, and impulse control in ways that can disrupt everyday life. Recognising these shifts as part of a cycle-linked brain response can be empowering and give us great insight into what treatment options might work best for your personally. Deeply understanding your cycle opens the door to more compassionate self-care, radical self-acceptance, tailored support, and ultimately a deeper understanding that PMDD symptoms are biologically driven and worthy of attention and treatment. I take an integrative, evidence-based approach to PMDD, supporting both the body and the mind.
My naturopathic treatment focuses on:
Cycle awareness – helping you understand how symptoms map onto your hormones, so you can anticipate and manage the luteal phase more effectively.
Nutritional and lifestyle foundations – using diet, targeted nutrients, and lifestyle shifts to stabilise mood, energy, and cognitive function.
Stress and nervous system support – employing herbal medicine, relaxation practices, and mindset work to ease emotional reactivity and impulsivity and modulate your neurotransmitters.
Collaboration with medical care – ensuring you have the right referrals and medical input when needed, while providing complementary strategies for relief.
My goal is to help you move from feeling hijacked by your cycle to feeling informed, supported, and more in control.
