Do you have PCOS and struggle with memory loss, short attention span, and other issues you blame on doomscrolling? Well, you can stop blaming it on your phone now. We’ve long been told that PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is a hormonal disorder that affects your periods, skin, weight, and fertility. But a new study from IIT Bombay just turned the spotlight onto something we’ve ignored for too long: your brain. Turns out, PCOS isn’t just about ovaries and hormones; it’s affecting how women think, focus, and respond to everyday tasks.

Related: Lean PCOS: Symptoms, Treatment, And Everything Else You Need To Know

How PCOS affects your brain

According to the research, PCOS isn’t just about hormones and reproductive issues – it has cognitive consequences as well. Think of it this way: attention and focus are the building blocks of how we function day-to-day. Whether you’re trying to write an email, cook a meal, or have a conversation, your brain’s ability to focus and process information is essential. And it turns out, PCOS is sabotaging your attention span. Researchers at IIT Bombay conducted a study involving 173 women, 101 with PCOS and 72 without. All of them were asked to complete a series of attention-based tasks while their hormone levels were also monitored.

Women with PCOS had noticeably slower reaction times and struggled more with attention tasks than those without the condition. In focused attention tests (which assess your ability to concentrate on one thing and ignore distractions), women with PCOS responded over 50% slower and made about 10% more mistakes. When it came to divided attention – your brain’s ability to juggle multiple tasks at once – women with PCOS were about 20% slower and made 3% more errors.

Your ovaries control your memory

Professor Azizuddin Khan, the lead researcher, explains that the two main culprits behind this are high androgen levels and insulin resistance, both commonly found in PCOS.

Insulin resistance, in particular, is a silent troublemaker. It disrupts how your brain cells use glucose, which they need to function. Imagine trying to run your brain on bad Wi-Fi, that’s what happens when glucose metabolism is off. The result? Slower processing, poorer attention, and more cognitive errors.

But that’s not all. PCOS often walks hand-in-hand with mental fatigue, anxiety, and depression. These not only affect your mood, but also mess with your ability to multitask and stay focused. PCOS causes memory issues, making even the simplest to-do list feel like a marathon.

It means that PCOS is more than just a “reproductive issue” – it’s a whole-body condition, and yes, that includes the brain. If you have PCOS and often feel mentally exhausted, easily distracted, or overwhelmed by simple tasks, you’re not imagining it.

This research is a reminder that women with PCOS deserve more comprehensive care, not just hormone treatments or fertility support, but mental health and cognitive support too.

So the next time someone says PCOS is “just a hormonal thing,” feel free to correct them – because your brain deserves the same care and attention as the rest of your body.

Images Source

Featured Image Source

Related: Why Pilates Is The Best Exercise For PCOS