A new study from IIT Bombay has revealed that Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) may also significantly impair cognitive functions in women.
The study, published in BioPsychosocial Medicine, found that women with PCOS showed a 56% delay in response time and a 10% dip in accuracy during focused attention tests.
PCOS affects an estimated 11 per cent of Indian women of reproductive age and is commonly associated with irregular menstrual cycles, excess body hair, and infertility.
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Using two established tests, the Flanker Task and Posner Cueing Task, IIT Bombay’s researchers Maitreyi Redkar and Prof. Azizuddin Khan evaluated focused and divided attention in 101 women with PCOS and 72 healthy participants. They found that women suffering from PCOS also performed 20% slower with 3% more errors in divided attention tests.
The findings emphasise the need to understand PCOS as a complex medical condition that not only affects physical but also cognitive health.
The researchers noted that the hormonal imbalance associated with PCOS could lead to decreased alertness and longer reaction times. They also found that the elevated androgen levels and insulin resistance in participants with PCOS could be behind the poor performance in focused attention tasks. Additionally, mental fatigue associated with PCOS, including symptoms like anxiety and frustration, can make it harder for women to perform tasks that require dividing their attention.
“Even subtle, millisecond-level delays in attention can impact everyday functioning,” said Prof. Khan.
The study suggested lifestyle changes, including brain training games, regular exercise, a balanced diet, weight management, and better sleep hygiene, could help improve attention and response performance in women with PCOS.
