The impact of polycystic ovary syndrome on attention: an empirical investigation

Redkar, Maitreyi; Khan, Azizuddin · 2025 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1186/s13030-024-00320-w

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Summary

This study investigates the impact of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) on attention, addressing a gap in literature that has largely focused on biochemical and medical ramifications rather than cognitive mechanisms. While previous research has linked PCOS to broader cognitive deficits, findings regarding attention specifically have been inconsistent due to varied methodologies and small sample sizes. The authors aimed to empirically evaluate how PCOS affects two specific types of attention: focused attention, which filters relevant stimuli, and divided attention, which manages multiple tasks. The researchers employed a mixed factorial design involving 173 female participants: 101 diagnosed with PCOS according to Rotterdam Criteria and 72 controls. Participants were recruited from Maharashtra, India, and excluded if they had other endocrinal, psychiatric, or visual conditions, or were taking medication. Attention was assessed using two experimental tasks administered via the Gorilla Experiment Builder: the Eriksen Flanker task for focused attention and the Posner Cueing task for divided attention. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to compare reaction times and accuracy between groups. The results demonstrated significant impairments in the PCOS group compared to controls. In focused attention tasks, women with PCOS exhibited significantly slower reaction times (mean = 649.18 ms) compared to the control group (mean = 416.19 ms) and lower accuracy (mean = 0.92 vs. 0.99). Similarly, in divided attention tasks, the PCOS group showed longer reaction times (mean = 499.58 ms vs. 411.39 ms) and reduced accuracy (mean = 0.97 vs. 1.00). Statistical analysis confirmed significant main effects for condition and interaction effects between accuracy, reaction time, and group status, indicating that PCOS negatively impacts both speed and precision in attentional processing, with focused attention being more severely affected. The authors conclude that hormonal imbalances and metabolic disturbances associated with PCOS, such as elevated androgens and insulin resistance, likely disrupt neurotransmitter systems and neural processing, leading to these attentional deficits. The study suggests that impaired focused attention may serve as a precursor to broader cognitive difficulties observed in PCOS patients. These findings highlight the need for clinicians to consider cognitive and attentional symptoms in PCOS management. The authors acknowledge limitations, including the reliance on self-reported medication use and the lack of control for socioeconomic factors, recommending future research utilize diverse psychophysiological methods and larger, more stratified cohorts.

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• attention selective divided