Beyond hormones: PCOS may impair brain function, says new IIT study

A new IIT-Bombay study reveals that women with PCOS experience slower reaction times and reduced attention span, highlighting that the condition impacts women beyond hormones and periods

If you’re living with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), you’ve probably heard a lot about its effects on your hormones, periods or weight. But here’s something new that you may not have expected. A new research has shown that it can affect how well you focus and react too.

 

A study by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, titled The impact of polycystic ovary syndrome on attention: an empirical investigation, recently published in the journal BioPsychosocial Medicine, shows that PCOS may also impair cognitive functions like attention and alertness. In fact, women with PCOS were found to react 56 per cent slower and make 7 per cent more errors than women without the condition in focused attention tasks.

IIT-Bombay study shows PCOS slows focus and reaction time

Researchers at IIT Bombay, led by Professor Azizuddin Khan and clinical psychologist and PhD scholar at IIT-B, Maitreyi Redkar, compared two groups: 101 women with PCOS and 72 women without the condition. All participants were tested on tasks measuring attention—specifically focused and divided attention—after assessing their hormonal levels.

 

In focused attention tests, PCOS participants were about 55.96 per cent slower than the control group, with 7 per cent more errors.

 

In divided attention tasks, their performance dropped by 21.42 per cent in speed, with 3 per cent more errors. 

PCOS is common and affects 1 in 9 Indian women

PCOS is a common hormonal disorder that affects women of reproductive age. It’s typically diagnosed when at least two of the following are present: irregular or missed periods, excess levels of male hormones (androgens), and polycystic ovaries seen on ultrasound.

 

According to a December 2022 study published in Cureus, the prevalence of PCOS among Indian women is approximately 11.33 per cent—or one in every nine women of reproductive age.

PCOS symptoms go beyond weight and hormones

PCOS can cause a range of symptoms, from acne and weight gain to fertility issues, and is linked to insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. Now, the IIT-Bombay study suggests that its impact may go beyond the physical, potentially impairing mental functions like attention and cognitive control. 

Attention is key to everyday brain function

According to IIT-Bombay, attention is your brain’s way of filtering what’s important from all the noise around you. It’s the foundation of tasks like listening in class, focusing on a conversation or driving. 

• Focused attention helps you concentrate on one task while ignoring distractions. 
• Divided attention allows you to juggle more than one task at a time, like cooking while talking on the phone. 

Hormonal and metabolic changes in PCOS affect the brain

The researchers suggest two key factors behind the drop in attention performance:

• Hormonal imbalance: Women with PCOS typically have elevated androgen levels, which may interfere with normal brain function. 
• Insulin resistance: Common in PCOS, this impairs glucose metabolism in the brain. Neurons (brain cells) don’t get the fuel they need, leading to slower mental processing.

Mental fatigue, anxiety and frustration—all common in PCOS—can further worsen cognitive tasks, especially those requiring multitasking or memory.

PCOS may explain brain fog and forgetfulness in daily life

From remembering directions while driving to forgetting why you walked into a room, these little things depend on working memory and attention.

 

If you have PCOS and feel mentally foggy, distracted or overwhelmed while handling multiple things, it’s not in your head. The science backs up what many women have long experienced.  For more health updates, follow #HealthWithBS 

This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.