Menstrual cycle synchronized changes in brain stem auditory evoked potentials and visual evoked potentials

Background: Sever al studies have reported changes in the spontaneous electroencephalogram of women across the menstrual cycle (MC), raising questions on whether sensory or cognitive evoked potentials would change with MC as well. Some of these studies have found changes synchronized with MC in visual event-related brain potentials (ERPs) and brain stem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs), whereas others have reported none. Methods: In the present study, we attempted to study the changes in P300 component of visual ERPs, and in BAEPs across the MC in healthy women. Results: The latency of P300 was longer during the ovulatory phase, Decrease across the MC phases was found for the amplitude of BAEP waves I and Ill, and for the wave V latency and the Ill-V interpeak latency. Conclusions: The results indicate that there may be a small relationship between visual ERP or BAEP and MC phase. (C) 1999 Society of Biological Psychiatry.