PMS Makes Women See Snakes...

...Faster. Women Spot Snakes Faster Before Their Periods

Dwight Schrute would be jealous: A new study suggests that women can detect snakes faster during the premenstrual phase of their menstrual cycles.

The quirky character on the sitcom "The Office" has plenty of theories about both snakes and menstruation, including a color-coded chart for the cycles of his female co-workers, but even he didn't see this one coming. Study researchers say the idea makes sense, as fluctuating hormones can influence the amygdala, a brain region responsible for fear and anxiety.

But what if the woman likes snakes, like the one on the right?  Will the amygdala enhance or suppress their reaction to snakes?  Maybe there's some grant money there, too.  I just need to find 50 women who like snakes.

During the luteal phase, or premenstrual portion, of the menstrual cycle, women are quicker at detecting photos of snakes, a threatening stimulus, than they are during the early and late follicular phase of the cycle, when the ovaries prepare to release an egg.

What?  They didn't test it with real snakes?  What kind of study is this anyway?

The luteal cycle begins with ovulation, the time of maximum fertility, suggesting that heightened anxiety might be adaptive in helping pregnant or potentially pregnant women stay safe, researchers report today (March 8) in the Nature journal Scientific Reports. The luteal phase is also the time when some women experience premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, an array of symptoms that can include everything from breast tenderness to irritability to anxiety.

So why would women relax their vigilance about snakes after their period?  I don't see the advantage to cave women.