Ergonomics
ISSN: 0014-0139 (Print) 1366-5847 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/terg20
The Effects of Total Oestrogen Concentration and Menstrual-Cycle Phase on Reaction Time Performance S. HUNTER , R SCHRAER , D. M. LANDERS , E. R. BUSKIRK‡ & D. V. HARRIS To cite this article: S. HUNTER , R SCHRAER , D. M. LANDERS , E. R. BUSKIRK‡ & D. V. HARRIS (1979) The Effects of Total Oestrogen Concentration and Menstrual-Cycle Phase on Reaction Time Performance, Ergonomics, 22:3, 263-268, DOI: 10.1080/00140137908924610 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00140137908924610
Published online: 03 Mar 2010.
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Citing articles: 14 View citing articles
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Date: 14 November 2015, At: 03:59
ERGONOMICS, 1979, VOL. 22, No.3, 263-268
The Effects of Total Oestrogen Concentration and Menstrual-Cycle Phase on Reaction Time Performance By S. HUNTER,* R. SCHRAER,t D. M. LANDERS, E. R. BUSKIRKt and D. V. HARRIS
Downloaded by [Nanyang Technological University] at 03:59 14 November 2015
College of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA This study investigated reaction time performance during the pre-menstrual-menstrual phase of the cycle and the relationship of plasma oestrogen concentration to reaction time. Thestudy included 18 young women using oral contraceptives and 18 young women normally cyclic. Testing once per week throughout two menstrual cycles consisted of simple, complex and choice reaction time tests and blood sampling for total plasma oestrogen level as determined by radioimmunoassay. Mean Phase I (five days pre- and postmenses) and Phase 2 (the remaining days of the menstrual cycle) reaction time scores for each subject on each task were used in several 2 x 2 variance analyses with repeated measures on the last factor. Oestrogen data were analyzed identically for all subjects. No significant differences in performance were found on the simple and complex tasks. Reaction time was significantly longer in Phase 1 than in Phase 2 for those normaJly cyclic on the choice task but not in those using oral contraceptives. Total oestrogen levels were significantly lower in those using oral contraceptives than in the normally cyclic subjects. A direct relationship between oestrogen concentration and reaction time performance could not be supported by the findings.
1. Introduction Throughout the years, the premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle has been implicated as a cause of behavioural fluctuations in women. The premenstrual syndrome, first described by Jacobi in 1877, is characterized by headache, abdominal swelling, water retention, irritability and depression. Its existence in a certain proportion of the female population is accepted although its effect on performance is not clear. Compilation of accident reports, crime statistics, hospital admission records and other such data by Dalton (1959, 1960, 1961) has provided statistical support for the hypothesis that behavioural change accompanies the premenstrual phase of the cycle in a segment of the population ranging from 36-95% depending on the study (Appleby 1965). Dalton has attributed the behavioural changes to an impairment of reaction time and total body movement time. Studies to date dealing with simple reaction time have shown no changes in performance associated with the menstrual cycle (Koppell et al. 1969, Loucks and Thompson 1968, Pierson and Lockhart 1963, Zimmerman and Parlee 1973). Those studies in which a choice reaction time test was used have shown conflicting results. Zimmerman and Parlee (1973) reported that no performance fluctuation occurred throughout the menstrual cycle, while Gimerale et al. (1975) found that a significant impairment of choice reaction time occurred during menses. Both of these studies employed a visual stimulus. The object of the present investigation was to compare reaction time performance on three reaction time tests or varying levels of complexity over the course of two "Present address: Intercollege Physiology Graduate Program. tDepartment of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and to whom requests for reprints should be sent. tLahoratory for Human Performance Program Research. ERG.
T
264
S. Hunter et al.
menstrual cycles. Total plasma oestrogen concentrations were measured to enable comparison of performance at high- or low- oestrogen phases. In addition, because one-half of the subjects were using oral contraceptives, performance in women with normally cycling oestrogen was compared to performance in those whose oestrogen production had been altered by medication.
2. Methods
Downloaded by [Nanyang Technological University] at 03:59 14 November 2015
2.1. Subjects A total of 18 subjects, ages 21-30y, began the study as the non-medicated group. The medicated group consisted of 18 women, ages 21-30y, who were using an oral contraceptive medication. Within this group, 17subjects were usinga combination oral contraceptive and one was using a sequential medication. All subjects provided a completed menstrual history questionnaire and signed an informed consent document. Since the tasks required sound perception, each subject was required to pass a hearing test using the protocol established by the Environmental Acoustics Laboratory at The Pennsylvania State University. Blood haemoglobin concentration was determined for each subject to ensure that no one was anaemic.
2.2. Procedures Subjects were tested at intervals of approximately 7-10 days for a period of two menstrual cycles. The order of testing for a given day and the preparatory intervals of either one, two or three seconds were obtained from a random list. The order of stimulus intensities used during the choice task were also determined on a random basis. Each su bject was given a practice trial for each task, as well as being allowed on each day to listen to the three stimulus intensities used for the choice task.
SOUND INTENSIH SWITe .. OU"'IIIV KEy 2
.-/-
,---f--+-------,
REliCTION "'ET I
Figure t.
Schematic diagram of reaction time apparatus.
Effects of oestrogen concentration and menstrual phase on reaction time
265
Downloaded by [Nanyang Technological University] at 03:59 14 November 2015
2.3. Reaction Time Tests Three reaction time tests designated as simple, complex and choice were employed in the study. Figure I illustrates the apparatus and keyboard arrangement. The simple task demanded moving the dominant hand from Reaction Key I to Response Key B upon hearing the auditory stimulus. The complex task required moving the dominant hand from Reaction Key I to Dummy Key I, Dummy Key 2 and then to Response Key B upon hearing the auditory stimulus. The choice task required moving the dominant hand from Reaction Key I to Response Key A, B or C. The response key used during anyone trial was contingent on the stimulus intensity presented. Stimulus intensities were 73 db re 0·002 JlN em - 2, 83 db re 0·002/1N em - 2 and 93 db re 0·OO2/1N cm - 2. The stimulus frequency was 1250 Hz. The simple and complex tasks always employed the medium intensity sound. Stimulus duration was maintained at 0·3 s for all tasks.
2.4. Determination of Plasma Oestrogen Concentration Blood sam pIing was performed following the reaction time tests. A volume of 8 cm ' of blood was drawn into heparinized Vacutainer tubes (Becton-Dickinson). The blood was centrifuged and the plasma withdrawn and stored at - 40°C until assay. The total plasma oestrogen concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay. The method employed in this study is that of Radioassay Systems Laboratories, Inc. (Abraham 1974, Abraham et al. 1971). The antiserum was purchased from Radioassay Systems Laboratories, Inc., and obtained from ewes after immunization with oestriol3-160(, 17[3-trihemisuccinate HSA conjugate. It was specific for the three main oestrogen: oestrone (E I ) , oestradiol-17P(E 2 ) and oestriol (E 3 ) . Cross reactivity with 16epioestriol, 17-epioestriol and 16, 17-epioestriol was 22%, 17% and 8%, respectively, compared to 140%, 140% and 100% for E 1, E 2 , E 3 . 2.5. Analysis of Data The menstrual cycle was divided into two phases in order to compare performance occurring around the time of menses with performance at other times in the cycle. Results obtained five days pre-or post-menses were included in the category labelled Phase 1. The remaining days of the cycle comprised Phase 2. A mean reaction time performance score was computed for every subject on each day of testing and each task. These scores were then assigned to either Phase I or Phase 2 of the particular subject, as was appropriate, and a mean phase reaction time was computed. Each subject, therefore, had a mean Phase I and a mean Phase 2 score for every task. A 2 x 2 (Medication Status x Menstrual Cycle Phase) analysis of variance, with repeated measures on the last factor, was used to analyse mean reaction time performance scores. Separate analyses were performed for each task. The oestrogen data were analysed in the same manner. All a priori and a posteriori tests were evaluated at the 0·05 level.
3. Results 3.1. Reaction Time Performance Table I shows the mean reaction time scores and standard deviations obtained for the subjects in both groups on the three reaction time tasks. The results for the simple and complex reaction time, shown in table 2, indicated that the main effects of medication status and menstrual cycle phase, as well as their interactions, were not significant. T2
S. Hunter et al.
266 Table I.
Mean Reaction Time (RT) Values for Simple. Complex and Choice Tasks.
Simple Reaction Time S.D. Xrns Medicated Group Phase I Phase 2
Complex Reaction Time . S.D. Xrns
Choice Reaction Time Xrns S.D.
215·6 216·5
37-39 33'17
240·7 241·7
50·82 46'63
379·1
79·05 79·24
229-6 229·5
72-73 68·18
259-3
78·49 80'19
396'1 374·8
76·65 63-82
370A
Nonmedicatcd
Downloaded by [Nanyang Technological University] at 03:59 14 November 2015
Group Phase I Phase 2
254A
Table 2. Analysis of Variance for Reaction Time Measures. Simple Reaction Time
Source of Variation
A I (Medication Status) Error (Between Subjects) B' (Menstrual Cycle Phase) AxB Error (Within Subjects)
Complex Reaction Time
Choice Reaction Time
ms
F
ms
F
ms
F
3289·27 6125·05 3·14 3-94 93·71
0·54
4429-60 8521'81 71'40 157-65 152·00
0·52
2077-87 i0904'04 719·41 4053·44 334·58
0'19
0·03 0·04
OA7
1·04
2·15 12·12'
Note: For each reaction time measure, there was I df in the numerator for each main effect and interaction with 34 df corresponding to the denominator (error).
Medicated and non medicated. 'Phase I and Phase 2. 'p
ISSN: 0014-0139 (Print) 1366-5847 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/terg20
The Effects of Total Oestrogen Concentration and Menstrual-Cycle Phase on Reaction Time Performance S. HUNTER , R SCHRAER , D. M. LANDERS , E. R. BUSKIRK‡ & D. V. HARRIS To cite this article: S. HUNTER , R SCHRAER , D. M. LANDERS , E. R. BUSKIRK‡ & D. V. HARRIS (1979) The Effects of Total Oestrogen Concentration and Menstrual-Cycle Phase on Reaction Time Performance, Ergonomics, 22:3, 263-268, DOI: 10.1080/00140137908924610 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00140137908924610
Published online: 03 Mar 2010.
Submit your article to this journal
Article views: 16
View related articles
Citing articles: 14 View citing articles
Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=terg20 Download by: [Nanyang Technological University]
Date: 14 November 2015, At: 03:59
ERGONOMICS, 1979, VOL. 22, No.3, 263-268
The Effects of Total Oestrogen Concentration and Menstrual-Cycle Phase on Reaction Time Performance By S. HUNTER,* R. SCHRAER,t D. M. LANDERS, E. R. BUSKIRKt and D. V. HARRIS
Downloaded by [Nanyang Technological University] at 03:59 14 November 2015
College of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA This study investigated reaction time performance during the pre-menstrual-menstrual phase of the cycle and the relationship of plasma oestrogen concentration to reaction time. Thestudy included 18 young women using oral contraceptives and 18 young women normally cyclic. Testing once per week throughout two menstrual cycles consisted of simple, complex and choice reaction time tests and blood sampling for total plasma oestrogen level as determined by radioimmunoassay. Mean Phase I (five days pre- and postmenses) and Phase 2 (the remaining days of the menstrual cycle) reaction time scores for each subject on each task were used in several 2 x 2 variance analyses with repeated measures on the last factor. Oestrogen data were analyzed identically for all subjects. No significant differences in performance were found on the simple and complex tasks. Reaction time was significantly longer in Phase 1 than in Phase 2 for those normaJly cyclic on the choice task but not in those using oral contraceptives. Total oestrogen levels were significantly lower in those using oral contraceptives than in the normally cyclic subjects. A direct relationship between oestrogen concentration and reaction time performance could not be supported by the findings.
1. Introduction Throughout the years, the premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle has been implicated as a cause of behavioural fluctuations in women. The premenstrual syndrome, first described by Jacobi in 1877, is characterized by headache, abdominal swelling, water retention, irritability and depression. Its existence in a certain proportion of the female population is accepted although its effect on performance is not clear. Compilation of accident reports, crime statistics, hospital admission records and other such data by Dalton (1959, 1960, 1961) has provided statistical support for the hypothesis that behavioural change accompanies the premenstrual phase of the cycle in a segment of the population ranging from 36-95% depending on the study (Appleby 1965). Dalton has attributed the behavioural changes to an impairment of reaction time and total body movement time. Studies to date dealing with simple reaction time have shown no changes in performance associated with the menstrual cycle (Koppell et al. 1969, Loucks and Thompson 1968, Pierson and Lockhart 1963, Zimmerman and Parlee 1973). Those studies in which a choice reaction time test was used have shown conflicting results. Zimmerman and Parlee (1973) reported that no performance fluctuation occurred throughout the menstrual cycle, while Gimerale et al. (1975) found that a significant impairment of choice reaction time occurred during menses. Both of these studies employed a visual stimulus. The object of the present investigation was to compare reaction time performance on three reaction time tests or varying levels of complexity over the course of two "Present address: Intercollege Physiology Graduate Program. tDepartment of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and to whom requests for reprints should be sent. tLahoratory for Human Performance Program Research. ERG.
T
264
S. Hunter et al.
menstrual cycles. Total plasma oestrogen concentrations were measured to enable comparison of performance at high- or low- oestrogen phases. In addition, because one-half of the subjects were using oral contraceptives, performance in women with normally cycling oestrogen was compared to performance in those whose oestrogen production had been altered by medication.
2. Methods
Downloaded by [Nanyang Technological University] at 03:59 14 November 2015
2.1. Subjects A total of 18 subjects, ages 21-30y, began the study as the non-medicated group. The medicated group consisted of 18 women, ages 21-30y, who were using an oral contraceptive medication. Within this group, 17subjects were usinga combination oral contraceptive and one was using a sequential medication. All subjects provided a completed menstrual history questionnaire and signed an informed consent document. Since the tasks required sound perception, each subject was required to pass a hearing test using the protocol established by the Environmental Acoustics Laboratory at The Pennsylvania State University. Blood haemoglobin concentration was determined for each subject to ensure that no one was anaemic.
2.2. Procedures Subjects were tested at intervals of approximately 7-10 days for a period of two menstrual cycles. The order of testing for a given day and the preparatory intervals of either one, two or three seconds were obtained from a random list. The order of stimulus intensities used during the choice task were also determined on a random basis. Each su bject was given a practice trial for each task, as well as being allowed on each day to listen to the three stimulus intensities used for the choice task.
SOUND INTENSIH SWITe .. OU"'IIIV KEy 2
.-/-
,---f--+-------,
REliCTION "'ET I
Figure t.
Schematic diagram of reaction time apparatus.
Effects of oestrogen concentration and menstrual phase on reaction time
265
Downloaded by [Nanyang Technological University] at 03:59 14 November 2015
2.3. Reaction Time Tests Three reaction time tests designated as simple, complex and choice were employed in the study. Figure I illustrates the apparatus and keyboard arrangement. The simple task demanded moving the dominant hand from Reaction Key I to Response Key B upon hearing the auditory stimulus. The complex task required moving the dominant hand from Reaction Key I to Dummy Key I, Dummy Key 2 and then to Response Key B upon hearing the auditory stimulus. The choice task required moving the dominant hand from Reaction Key I to Response Key A, B or C. The response key used during anyone trial was contingent on the stimulus intensity presented. Stimulus intensities were 73 db re 0·002 JlN em - 2, 83 db re 0·002/1N em - 2 and 93 db re 0·OO2/1N cm - 2. The stimulus frequency was 1250 Hz. The simple and complex tasks always employed the medium intensity sound. Stimulus duration was maintained at 0·3 s for all tasks.
2.4. Determination of Plasma Oestrogen Concentration Blood sam pIing was performed following the reaction time tests. A volume of 8 cm ' of blood was drawn into heparinized Vacutainer tubes (Becton-Dickinson). The blood was centrifuged and the plasma withdrawn and stored at - 40°C until assay. The total plasma oestrogen concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay. The method employed in this study is that of Radioassay Systems Laboratories, Inc. (Abraham 1974, Abraham et al. 1971). The antiserum was purchased from Radioassay Systems Laboratories, Inc., and obtained from ewes after immunization with oestriol3-160(, 17[3-trihemisuccinate HSA conjugate. It was specific for the three main oestrogen: oestrone (E I ) , oestradiol-17P(E 2 ) and oestriol (E 3 ) . Cross reactivity with 16epioestriol, 17-epioestriol and 16, 17-epioestriol was 22%, 17% and 8%, respectively, compared to 140%, 140% and 100% for E 1, E 2 , E 3 . 2.5. Analysis of Data The menstrual cycle was divided into two phases in order to compare performance occurring around the time of menses with performance at other times in the cycle. Results obtained five days pre-or post-menses were included in the category labelled Phase 1. The remaining days of the cycle comprised Phase 2. A mean reaction time performance score was computed for every subject on each day of testing and each task. These scores were then assigned to either Phase I or Phase 2 of the particular subject, as was appropriate, and a mean phase reaction time was computed. Each subject, therefore, had a mean Phase I and a mean Phase 2 score for every task. A 2 x 2 (Medication Status x Menstrual Cycle Phase) analysis of variance, with repeated measures on the last factor, was used to analyse mean reaction time performance scores. Separate analyses were performed for each task. The oestrogen data were analysed in the same manner. All a priori and a posteriori tests were evaluated at the 0·05 level.
3. Results 3.1. Reaction Time Performance Table I shows the mean reaction time scores and standard deviations obtained for the subjects in both groups on the three reaction time tasks. The results for the simple and complex reaction time, shown in table 2, indicated that the main effects of medication status and menstrual cycle phase, as well as their interactions, were not significant. T2
S. Hunter et al.
266 Table I.
Mean Reaction Time (RT) Values for Simple. Complex and Choice Tasks.
Simple Reaction Time S.D. Xrns Medicated Group Phase I Phase 2
Complex Reaction Time . S.D. Xrns
Choice Reaction Time Xrns S.D.
215·6 216·5
37-39 33'17
240·7 241·7
50·82 46'63
379·1
79·05 79·24
229-6 229·5
72-73 68·18
259-3
78·49 80'19
396'1 374·8
76·65 63-82
370A
Nonmedicatcd
Downloaded by [Nanyang Technological University] at 03:59 14 November 2015
Group Phase I Phase 2
254A
Table 2. Analysis of Variance for Reaction Time Measures. Simple Reaction Time
Source of Variation
A I (Medication Status) Error (Between Subjects) B' (Menstrual Cycle Phase) AxB Error (Within Subjects)
Complex Reaction Time
Choice Reaction Time
ms
F
ms
F
ms
F
3289·27 6125·05 3·14 3-94 93·71
0·54
4429-60 8521'81 71'40 157-65 152·00
0·52
2077-87 i0904'04 719·41 4053·44 334·58
0'19
0·03 0·04
OA7
1·04
2·15 12·12'
Note: For each reaction time measure, there was I df in the numerator for each main effect and interaction with 34 df corresponding to the denominator (error).
Medicated and non medicated. 'Phase I and Phase 2. 'p
