Performance of Fine Motor and Spatial Tasks During the Menstrual Cycle
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Performance of Fine Motor and Spatial Tasks During the Menstrual Cycle: Various studies have shown fluctuations in task performance during the menstrual cycle. The aim of this study was to see the effects of the menstrual cycle on performing fine motor and spatial tasks of different level of complexity in twenty students aged 18 to 21 years, with regular menstrual cycle (28 to 30 days). The students performed O'Connor Finger Dexterity Test and mental rotation test during the menstrual, late follicular, and midluteal phase. Before the tests were performed, we administered Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for each phase. After the tasks were completed, the subjects ranked their difficulty on Borg's scale. The results showed the best performance in both tests in the midluteal phase (with sex hormones at their peak). The anxiety level and task difficulty ranking were the highest in the menstrual phase, when the hormone levels were the lowest.
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Multiple papers found women's performance fluctuated throughout the menstrual cycle with better spatial performance in the menstrual phase and better verbal performance in the luteal phase.
“Multiple papers found women's performance fluctuated throughout the menstrual cycle with better spatial performance in the menstrual phase and better verbal performance in the luteal phase (e.g., Hampson, 1990aHampson, , 1990b;;McCormick & Teillon, 2001;Šimić & Santini, 2012)”
From Factors Related to Mean Score Group Differences on Cognitive Ability Tests: A Systematic Review (2025) · cites this paper as Šimić & Santini, 2012
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References 29 · Cited by 14
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- Authors
- Šimić, N., Tokić, A., & Peričić, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Zadar (HR)
- Venue
- Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology
- Publisher
- Walter de Gruyter GmbH
- Published
- 2010-12-01
- Volume
- 61
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 407-414
- ISSN
- 0004-1254 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2008901763
- Cited by
- 14
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.63
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of Zagreb University Computing Centre (SRCE) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Menstrual Health and Disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Motor Control and Adaptation
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Menopause: Health Impacts and Treatments
- Keywords
- menstrual cycle, fine motor skills, spatial tasks, finger dexterity, mental rotation, mid-luteal phase, follicular phase, sex hormones, anxiety, task difficulty, young women
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Anxiety, Female, Humans, Menstrual Cycle, Psychomotor Performance, Gonadal Steroid Hormones, Young Adult
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