The visual sensitivity of women during the menstrual cycle

Barris, Michael C.; Dawson, William W.; Theiß, Cathrin

doi:10.1007/bf01886622

Cited by 27 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 13 publications

(11 reference statements)

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“…Scher, Pionk, and Purcell (1981) demonstrated that dark-adapted visual sensitivity (d~) was increased at ovulation but was unchanged at other phases of the menstrual cycle. This finding was consistent with earlier work that had also found dark-adapted sensitivity to be increased at or around the time of ovulation (Barris, Dawson, & Theiss, 1980;Ward, Stone, & Sandman, 1978). In addition, Scher et al (1981) found no effect of cycle phase under light-adapted conditions.…”

supporting

confidence: 92%

“…Experimental data were collected on the 1 st day of menses and on the day of the rise in a subject's basal body temperature. This would be the day after ovulation and was the day on which Barris et al (1980) had found the greatest increase in visual sensitivity. To ensure accuracy of phase of testing, the basal body temperature was monitored throughout the menstrual cycle.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In other words, although it Copyright 1985 Psychonomic Society, Inc. SCHER, PURCELL, AND CAPUTO would reduce the absolute threshold, an increase in sensitivity at ovulation would also increase the difference threshold and thus make discrimination of a letter from its background more difficult. The present experiment was designed to test the hypothesis that letter identification in the dark-adapted eye would be reduced at ovulation as a consequence of the visual system's increased sensitivity at that time (Barris et al, 1980;Scher et al, 1981).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Visual acuity at two phases of the menstrual cycle

Scher

Purcell

Caputo³

1985

Bull. Psychon. Soc.

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supporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Visual acuity at two phases of the menstrual cycle

Scher

Purcell

Caputo³

1985

Bull. Psychon. Soc.

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“…Previous investigators demonstrated changes in some visual functions that suggested better visual performance during ovulation [2,3,4,5,6]. However, no detailed study was performed to assess colour vision.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Colour Discrimination during the Menstrual Cycle

Giuffrè¹,

Rosa

Fiorino

2006

Ophthalmologica

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A group of normal women of reproductive age were recruited to investigate colour discrimination during the various phases of the menstrual cycle. Colour vision was tested with the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue arrangement test, and the test was administered at 3 time points: the beginning of the cycle, ovulation, and the end of the cycle. We found that colour discrimination was better at ovulation than at the other 2 time points. It is possible that psychological as well as hormonal factors could contribute to improved colour vision performance at ovulation.

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“…Visual thresholds tend to be lowest at the time of ovulation (e.g., Barris, Dawson, Theiss, 1980, andScher, Pionk, &Purcell, 1981). Olfactory thresholds also tend to be lower at midcycle than during menstruation (e.g., Mair, Bouffard, Engen, & Morton, 1978).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the menstrual cycle on vibrotactile sensitivity

Gescheider

Verrillo

McCann

et al. 1984

Perception & Psychophysics

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Psychophysical thresholds for the detection of vibration delivered to the thenar eminence of the right hands of young males and females were measured every other day for 30·34 days. The frequency of the vibratory stimulus was either 15 or 250 Hz.The sinusoidal stimuli applied through a 3.0-cm' contactor were 700 msec in duration and had rise-fall times of 25 msec. Stimulus amplitude was measured with a calibrated accelerometer mounted on the moving element of the vibrator. Data were plotted as a function of successive days in the menstrual cycle. Thresholds for detecting the 15-Hz stimulus did not change significantly, whereas thresholds for detecting the 250-Hz stimulus varied significantly over the menstrual cycle. The 250-Hz threshold became progressively lower as subjects approached the onset of menstruation. After the onset of menstruation, the 250-Hz threshold gradually increased, reaching a maximum value approximately 12 or 13 days later. Soon after the 12th or 13th day of the cycle, the threshold again began to decline and continued to decline until the onset of the next menstrual cycle. The thresholds of women taking birth control pills did not change systematically over the testing period.The sensitivity of human sensory systems has been found to be related to the menstrual cycle (see Parlee, 1983, for a review). Visual thresholds tend to be lowest at the time of ovulation (e.g., Barris, Dawson, Theiss, 1980, andScher, Pionk, &Purcell, 1981). Olfactory thresholds also tend to be lower at midcycle than during menstruation (e.g., Mair, Bouffard, Engen, & Morton, 1978). On the other hand, taste thresholds tend to be lowest during menstruation (Henkin, 1974). Auditory sensitivity increases during ovulation and decreases just prior to menstruation (Henkin, 1974).Cutaneous sensitivity is also affected by the menstrual cycle. Sensitivity to painful radiant heat on the forearm is highest during ovulation (Goolkasian, 1980). On the other hand, pricking pain thresholds on the breast are lowest at midcycle and at menstruation (Robinson & Short, 1977). Kenshalo (1966) showed that the detection of changes in skin temperature is related to the menstrual cycle. When the skin has been adapted to temperature greater than 35°C, the threshold for detecting a cooling of the skin is higher during the period from the onset of This research was supported in part by Grant NS-09940 from the National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services.The senior author's mailing address is: Department of Psychology. Hamilton College, Clinton, NY 13323. menstruation to ovulation than after ovulation. Lower thresholds after ovulation were attributed to increased cutaneous vasodilation associated with increased levels of progesterone. Two-point tactile discrimination thresholds change as a function of the menstrual cycle. Herren (1933) and Henkin (1974) found tactile spatial acuity on the skin as measured by two-point thresholds to be better in the period after ovulation and before menstruation than in the ...

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The visual sensitivity of women during the menstrual cycle

Cited by 27 publications

References 13 publications

Visual acuity at two phases of the menstrual cycle

Visual acuity at two phases of the menstrual cycle

Changes in Colour Discrimination during the Menstrual Cycle

Effects of the menstrual cycle on vibrotactile sensitivity

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