Assessment of Auditory and Visual Reaction Times among Women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67440/ahj.vi.3167Keywords:
Polycystic ovary syndrome, Reaction time, Auditory reaction time, Visual reaction time, Psychomotor performance, NeurophysiologyAbstract
Background: Reaction time (RT) is a reliable indicator of neural processing speed and psychomotor performance. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), a common endocrine–metabolic disorder in women, is associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress, which may influence central nervous system efficiency. Assessing auditory and visual RTs provides a simple, non-invasive approach to evaluate potential neurophysiological alterations in PCOS.
Objectives: To assess auditory and visual reaction times among women with PCOS and to explore their associations with age, body mass index (BMI), and selected lifestyle factors.
Materials and Methods: A hospital-based analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 90 women aged 18–35 years diagnosed with PCOS (Rotterdam criteria) at Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai. Auditory and visual simple reaction times were measured using a validated digital apparatus under standardized conditions. Mean values were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Descriptive and correlation analyses were performed using IBM SPSS version 25, with a p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: The participants had a mean age of 26.0 ± 4.0 years and a mean BMI of 27.4 ± 2.8 kg/m², indicating an overweight profile. The mean auditory reaction time (ART) was 244.6 ± 14.7 ms, while the mean visual reaction time (VRT) was 275.3 ± 19.6 ms. Visual responses were approximately 30 ms slower than auditory responses, consistent with expected modality differences.
Conclusion: Women with PCOS demonstrated auditory and visual reaction times within physiological ranges, with auditory responses significantly faster than visual ones. These findings suggest subtle variations in central processing speed potentially linked with metabolic status in PCOS. Early identification of such neurophysiological changes could guide preventive strategies aimed at improving cognitive and psychomotor function in affected women.
