summary: Research has revealed a remarkable interaction between ovarian hormone fluctuations during the menstrual cycle and structural adaptations in women’s brains, particularly in areas essential for cognitive function.
Using a meticulous approach, researchers used 7-Tesla MRI and blood sampling across six menstrual cycle points to show that estradiol and progesterone are linked to crucial areas of episodic memory and spatial cognition. We observed how it affected certain medial temporal lobe and hippocampal regions.
Establishing that these brain regions restructure in sync with hormonal oscillations opens the door to understanding how these natural fluctuations impact mental health and cognitive resilience. will be opened.
This study investigates a little-studied region of the female brain and sheds light on its dynamic, rhythmic changes and how they impact long-term brain health and susceptibility to disorders. It is emphasized that
Important facts:
- Dynamic hormonal influences: This study shows precisely how fluctuations in ovarian hormones, particularly estradiol and progesterone, influence structural changes in key brain regions during the reproductive years.
- Focus on unexplored areas: Despite the significant impact of sex steroid hormones on cognitive function, less than 0.5% of the neuroimaging literature addresses hormonal transitions such as the menstrual cycle, hormonal contraceptive use, pregnancy, and menopause.
- Link to mental health: This study aims to pave the way to understanding how rhythmic changes in brain structure correlate with risk and resilience to mental health problems such as depression and Alzheimer’s disease, especially in women. Masu.
sauce: Max Planck Institute
Central learning and memory hubs change in response to sex hormones.new research in natural mental health Rachel Zide and Julia Sacher from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences and the Leipzig University Clinic in Germany link rhythmic fluctuations in ovarian hormone levels in women during the menstrual cycle to changes in brain structure. .
Ovarian hormones have important effects on the brain, and early menopause may be associated with accelerated brain aging and an increased risk of later dementia.
However, the effects of ovarian hormone fluctuations on brain structure early in life are less clear. In their study, Zsido and Sacher show that fluctuations in ovarian hormones influence structural plasticity in key brain regions during the reproductive period.
To do this, the scientists collected blood samples from 27 female study participants, used ultrasound to track the growth of follicles in the ovaries to determine when they ovulated, and used ultra-high magnetic field 7 We used Tesla MRI to enlarge small areas of the medial temporal lobe and hippocampus. That’s because these areas are densely packed with sex hormone receptors and are important for cognitive functions such as episodic memory.
Capturing dynamic changes in sex hormones
Unlike previous studies, Zsido and Sacher examined women’s brains at six time points throughout the menstrual cycle, rather than just one point in time. This longitudinal design captures dynamic changes in sex hormones. During the menstrual cycle, estradiol increases during the first half of the cycle and peaks around ovulation, while progesterone becomes predominant during the second half of the cycle.
Estradiol is one of the most important sex hormones in a woman’s body and helps maintain the reproductive system. Progesterone is another important sex hormone for the reproductive system, preparing the uterus for pregnancy, reducing anxiety, inducing sleep, relaxing, and calming effects. In other words, just like the ebb and flow of the tides, women’s brains are tuned to a certain rhythm of hormones, and this new study reveals that rhythm for the first time.
“We found that specific areas of the medial temporal lobe, important for episodic memory and spatial cognition, expand under high estradiol and low progesterone levels, meaning that these brain regions self-regulate in sync with the menstrual cycle. We hope to find out in several follow-up studies whether these rhythm changes change in individuals at risk for memory and emotional disorders. “I think so,” says Julia Sacher.
“In general, the female brain is still understudied in cognitive neuroscience. Even though sex steroid hormones are powerful regulators of learning and memory, the effects of menstrual cycles, hormonal contraceptives, Less than 0.5% of the neuroimaging literature considers hormonal transition stages such as pregnancy and menopause.
“We are committed to addressing this basic research gap. Identifying the mechanisms underlying risk and resilience to mental health disorders such as depression and Alzheimer’s disease requires We need a better understanding of how women’s brains adapt to change.”
About this memory and neuroscience research news
author: Rachel G. Gide
sauce: Max Planck Institute
contact: Rachel G. Gisaid – Max Planck Institute
image: Image credited to Neuroscience News
Original research: Open access.
“Ultra-high field 7T MRI reveals changes in medial temporal lobe volume in adult women during the menstrual cycle” by Rachel G. Zsido et al. natural mental health
abstract
Ultra-high field 7T MRI reveals changes in medial temporal lobe volume in adult women during the menstrual cycle
Ovarian hormones have a profound effect on the brain, and early menopause is associated with accelerated brain aging and an increased risk of dementia later in life. However, the effects of ovarian hormone fluctuations on brain structure early in life are poorly understood.
Here we show that fluctuations in ovarian hormones shape structural brain plasticity during the reproductive years.
We use longitudinal ultrahigh-field neuroimaging across the menstrual cycle to map the morphology of medial temporal lobe subregions in 27 participants.
By controlling water content and blood flow, our findings showed that the interactions between estradiol and parahippocampal cortex volume, progesterone and subiculum and perirhinal region volume, and estradiol*progesterone and CA1 volume revealed that there is a positive relationship.
This study provides a blueprint for future research into the common dynamics of brain and ovarian function and is a fundamental stepping stone toward developing gender-specific strategies to improve brain health and mental health. This is the result.
