The effects of menstrual cycle and interoception on emotion recognition and regulation

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K07806
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 51020:Cognitive and brain science-related
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Terasawa Yuri 慶應義塾大学, 文学部(日吉), 准教授 (30585790)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 内受容感覚 / 感情 / 自律神経機能 / 性周期 / 月経周期 / 感情への気づき

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Emotions arise from an integrated understanding of interoception and environmental information. However, this process in the brain has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we focused on fluctuations in autonomic nervous system activity during the female menstrual cycle as an example of how changes in internal body states affect emotions in daily life. One participant was asked to participate in the experiment during the follicular and luteal phases, and data were collected for 34 participants. In each experiment, we assessed interoception, autonomic responses, and emotion recognition tendencies. In addition, fMRI imaging was performed at rest and during task performance. Participants who understood the connection between the body and emotions were shown to be potentially more sensitive to changes in their physical physiological state due to fluctuations in their menstrual cycle.

Free Research Field

認知神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

女性の性周期の変動に伴う気分状態や体調の変化については、医学の領域ではよく知られてきていたが、その一方で感情のメカニズムに基づく認知神経科学的な研究は限られた数の報告しかなかった。このような現状に照らして、身体生理的な変動と、心理的な変動、そして二者をつなぐ脳基盤の変動をとらえ、これらの三者関係について考察可能なデータを取得できたことは、非常に大きな成果である。
感情の生起メカニズムを理解するための基礎的な知見としての価値に加え、月経周期に伴って生じる感情制御の問題のメカニズムや、その対策方法の考案に役立つ可能性がある。