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Grissom NM, Glewwe N, Chen C, Giglio E. Sex mechanisms as nonbinary influences on cognitive diversity. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105544. [PMID: 38643533 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Essentially all neuropsychiatric diagnoses show some degree of sex and/or gender differences in their etiology, diagnosis, or prognosis. As a result, the roles of sex-related variables in behavior and cognition are of strong interest to many, with several lines of research showing effects on executive functions and value-based decision making in particular. These findings are often framed within a sex binary, with behavior of females described as less optimal than male "defaults"-- a framing that pits males and females against each other and deemphasizes the enormous overlap in fundamental neural mechanisms across sexes. Here, we propose an alternative framework in which sex-related factors encompass just one subset of many sources of valuable diversity in cognition. First, we review literature establishing multidimensional, nonbinary impacts of factors related to sex chromosomes and endocrine mechanisms on cognition, focusing on value- based decision-making tasks. Next, we present two suggestions for nonbinary interpretations and analyses of sex-related data that can be implemented by behavioral neuroscientists without devoting laboratory resources to delving into mechanisms underlying sex differences. We recommend (1) shifting interpretations of behavior away from performance metrics and towards strategy assessments to avoid the fallacy that the performance of one sex is worse than another; and (2) asking how much variance sex explains in measures and whether any differences are mosaic rather than binary, to avoid assuming that sex differences in separate measures are inextricably correlated. Nonbinary frameworks in research on cognition will allow neuroscience to represent the full spectrum of brains and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola M Grissom
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, United States of America.
| | - Nic Glewwe
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Cathy Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Erin Giglio
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, United States of America
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2
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Zelionkaitė I, Gaižauskaitė R, Uusberg H, Uusberg A, Ambrasė A, Derntl B, Grikšienė R. The levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device is related to early emotional reactivity: An ERP study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 162:106954. [PMID: 38241970 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Despite the evidence of altered emotion processing in oral contraceptive (OC) users, the impact of hormonal intrauterine devices (IUD) on emotional processing remains unexplored. Our study aimed to investigate how behavioural performance and event-related potentials (ERPs) linked with emotion reactivity and its regulation are associated with hormonal profiles of women using different types of hormonal contraception and naturally cycling women. Women using OCs (n = 25), hormonal IUDs (n = 33), and naturally cycling women in their early follicular (NCF, n = 33) or mid-luteal (NCL, n = 28) phase of the menstrual cycle were instructed to view emotional pictures (neutral, low and high negativity) and use cognitive reappraisal to up- or down-regulate negative emotions, while their electroencephalogram was recorded. Participants rated perceived negativity after each picture and their emotional arousal throughout the task. Saliva samples were collected to assess levels of 17β-estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone. As expected, emotional arousal increased throughout the task and correlated positively with perceived negativity. Perceived negativity and the amplitudes of the middle (N2/P3) and later (LPP) latency ERP components increased with increasing stimuli negativity. Emotion regulation modulated perceived negativity and the amplitudes of very late ERP components (parietal and frontal LPP). Moreover, IUD-users showed a higher negative amplitude of the frontal N2 in comparison to all three other groups, with the most consistent differences during up-regulation. Finally, testosterone correlated positively with the N2 peak in IUD-users and NCL women. Overall, our findings suggest that IUD-use and testosterone might be related to altered preconscious processing during the emotion regulation task requiring attention to the stimulus. The study underscores the need for additional research into how different hormonal contraceptives are linked to socio-emotional functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrida Zelionkaitė
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio ave. 7, 10257, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Rimantė Gaižauskaitė
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio ave. 7, 10257, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Helen Uusberg
- Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Ülikooli 18, 50090, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Andero Uusberg
- Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Ülikooli 18, 50090, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Aistė Ambrasė
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Women's Mental Health & Brain Function, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72016, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Women's Mental Health & Brain Function, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72016, Tübingen, Germany; DZPG (German Center for Mental Health), Partner site Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ramunė Grikšienė
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio ave. 7, 10257, Vilnius, Lithuania
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Lewis CA, Grahlow M, Kühnel A, Derntl B, Kroemer NB. Women compared with men work harder for small rewards. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5456. [PMID: 37016145 PMCID: PMC10073246 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32391-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In cost-benefit decision-making, women and men often show different trade-offs. However, surprisingly little is known about sex differences in instrumental tasks, where physical effort is exerted to gain rewards. To this end, we tested 81 individuals (47 women) with an effort allocation task, where participants had to repeatedly press a button to collect food and money tokens. We analyzed the motivational phases of invigoration and effort maintenance with varying reward magnitude, difficulty, and reward type. Whereas women and men did not differ in invigoration, we found that women showed higher effort maintenance as well as higher subjective wanting and exertion ratings for small rewards compared with men. Notably, men increased their effort more than women for higher rewards to match women's levels of performance. Crucially, we found no sex differences depending on reward type or difficulty, indicating that sex differences were specific to the encoding of the magnitude of benefits, not costs. To summarize, women exerted higher physical effort for small rewards, which corresponded with an elevated subjective value in women compared with men. Therefore, sex differences in perceived reward magnitude may contribute to differential behavioral preferences highlighting the potential of cost-benefit decision-making to provide insights about potential mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Emotion Neuroimaging Lab, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication: Function, Structure, and Plasticity, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Melina Grahlow
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anne Kühnel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Venusberg Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Nils B Kroemer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Venusberg Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany.
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Shi T, Feng S, Zhou Z, Li F, Fu Y, Zhou W. Stress-altering anterior insular cortex activity affects risk decision-making behavior in mice of different sexes. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1094808. [PMID: 36761354 PMCID: PMC9902351 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1094808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress can affect people's judgment and make them take risky decisions. Abnormal decision-making behavior is a core symptom of psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. However, the neuronal mechanisms underlying such impairments are largely unknown. The anterior insular cortex (AIC) is a crucial structure to integrate sensory information with emotional and motivational states. These properties suggest that AIC can influence a subjective prediction in decision-making. In this study, we demonstrated that stressed mice prefer to take more risky choices than control mice using a gambling test. Manipulating the neural activity of AIC or selectively inhibiting the AIC-BLA pathway with chemogenetic intervention resulted in alterations in risk decision-making in mice. Different sexes may have different decision-making strategies in risky situations. Endogenous estrogen levels affect emotional cognition by modulating the stress system function in women. We observed decision-making behavior in mice of different sexes with or without stress experience. The result showed that female mice did not change their choice strategy with increasing risk/reward probability and performed a lower risk preference than male mice after stress. Using the pharmacological method, we bilaterally injected an estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist that resulted in more risky behavior and decreased synaptic plasticity in the AIC of female mice. Our study suggested that the AIC is a crucial region involved in stress-induced alteration of decision-making, and estrogen in the AIC may regulate decision-making behavior by regulating synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyao Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Tianyao Shi,
| | - Shufang Feng
- Department of Medical Psychology, The Third Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhonglin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
| | - Fengan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China,Department of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuan Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China,Department of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenxia Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China,Wenxia Zhou,
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Kern DW, Kaufmann GT, Hummer TA, Schumm LP, Wroblewski KE, Pinto JM, McClintock MK. Androstadienone sensitivity is associated with attention to emotions, social interactions, and sexual behavior in older U.S. adults. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280082. [PMID: 36638090 PMCID: PMC9838868 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Δ 4,16-androstadien-3-one (androstadienone) is a putative human pheromone often linked to sexual attraction in young adults, although specific associations with sexual behavior are not yet established. Androstadienone also serves a broader social-emotional function beyond the sexual domain, specifically tuning the brain to efficiently process emotional information. Whether these effects persist throughout the lifespan into post-reproductive life is unknown. In a laboratory study of older adults, those with greater androstadienone odor sensitivity paid greater attention to subliminal emotional information, specifically, angry faces (p = 0.05), with a similar relationship to happy faces. In contrast, the physical odor n-butanol (a control) did not affect emotional attention (p = 0.49). We then extended this laboratory research and determined whether sensitivity to androstadienone affects the everyday lives of older adults by measuring their social and sexual behavior. In this second study, we surveyed in a nationally representative sample of US older adults living in their homes (National Social Life and Aging Project, 62-90 years; n = 2,086), along with their sensitivity to androstadienone, general olfactory function, health and demographics. Greater sensitivity to androstadienone was associated with richer social lives: having more friends, increased communication with close friends and family, and more participation in organized social events and volunteer activities (all p's ≤ 0.05, generalized linear models, adjusted for age and gender). It was also associated with more recent sexual activity, more frequent sexual thoughts, and viewing sex as an important part of life (all p's ≤ 0.05). General olfactory function did not explain these associations, supporting a specialized function for this pheromone during everyday life, and expanding its role to social life as well as sexual behavior, likely mediated by enhanced attention to emotional information.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W. Kern
- Isidore Newman School, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Gabriel T. Kaufmann
- Pritzker School of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Tom A. Hummer
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - L. Philip Schumm
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Kristen E. Wroblewski
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Jayant M. Pinto
- Department of Surgery, Section of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Martha K. McClintock
- Department of Psychology, The Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Sartin-Tarm A, Lorenz T. Sexual Trauma Moderates Hormonal Mediators of Women’s Sexual Function. CURRENT SEXUAL HEALTH REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11930-022-00337-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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7
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Orsini CA, Truckenbrod LM, Wheeler AR. Regulation of sex differences in risk-based decision making by gonadal hormones: Insights from rodent models. Behav Processes 2022; 200:104663. [PMID: 35661794 PMCID: PMC9893517 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Men and women differ in their ability to evaluate options that vary in their rewards and the risks that are associated with these outcomes. Most studies have shown that women are more risk averse than men and that gonadal hormones significantly contribute to this sex difference. Gonadal hormones can influence risk-based decision making (i.e., risk taking) by modulating the neurobiological substrates underlying this cognitive process. Indeed, estradiol, progesterone and testosterone modulate activity in the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and nucleus accumbens associated with reward and risk-related information. The use of animal models of decision making has advanced our understanding of the intersection between the behavioral, neural and hormonal mechanisms underlying sex differences in risk taking. This review will outline the current state of this literature, identify the current gaps in knowledge and suggest the neurobiological mechanisms by which hormones regulate risky decision making. Collectively, this knowledge can be used to understand the potential consequences of significant hormonal changes, whether endogenously or exogenously induced, on risk-based decision making as well as the neuroendocrinological basis of neuropsychiatric diseases that are characterized by impaired risk taking, such as substance use disorder and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A. Orsini
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Correspondence to: Department of Psychology & Neurology, Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, 108 E. Dean Keaton St., Stop A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA. (C.A. Orsini)
| | - Leah M. Truckenbrod
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Alexa-Rae Wheeler
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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8
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Cognitive processing of emotional information during menstrual phases in women with and without postpartum depression: differential sensitivity to changes in gonadal steroids. Arch Womens Ment Health 2022; 25:753-762. [PMID: 35532792 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-022-01235-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Gonadal steroids (GSs) have been repeatedly shown to play a central role in the onset of postpartum depression (PPD). The underlying mechanisms, however, are only partially understood. We investigated the relationship between cognitive processing of emotional information and naturally occurring hormonal fluctuations in women with and without previous PPD. Euthymic, parous women, with a history (hPPD, n=32) and without a history (nhPPD, n=43) of PPD, were assessed during late-follicular and late-luteal phases. Participants were administered cognitive tasks assessing attention (dot-probe; emotional Stroop), evaluation (self-referential encoding) and incidental recall, and self-report measures. Menstrual-phase-specific differences were found between late-follicular vs. late-luteal phases among hPPD only, with depression-associated patterns observed in the late-luteal phase on the self-referential encoding and incidental recall task and emotional Stroop task, but not on the dot-probe task. No main effect for menstrual phase was found on any of the tasks or questionnaires, apart from the brooding component of rumination. Women with hPPD demonstrate a differential bias in cognitive processing of emotional information that is menstrual phase dependent, and did not correspond to similar difference in mood symptoms. These biases may reflect sensitivity to gonadal steroid fluctuations that are associated with PPD.
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Duerler P, Vollenweider FX, Preller KH. A neurobiological perspective on social influence: Serotonin and social adaptation. J Neurochem 2022; 162:60-79. [PMID: 35274296 PMCID: PMC9322456 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Humans are inherently social beings. Being suggestible to each other's expectations enables pro-social skills that are crucial for social learning and adaptation. Despite its high relevance for psychiatry, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying social adaptation are still not well understood. This review therefore provides a conceptual framework covering various distinct mechanisms underlying social adaptation and explores the neuropharmacology - in particular the role of the serotonin (5-HT) system - modulating these mechanisms. This article therefore reviews empirical results on social influence processing and reconciles them with recent findings from psychedelic research on social processing to elucidate neurobiological and neuropharmacological underpinnings of social adaptation. Various computational, neurobiological, and neurochemical processes are involved in distinct mechanisms underlying social adaptation such as the multisensory process of social information integration that is crucial for the forming of self-representation and representations of social norms. This is again associated with self- and other-perception during social interactions as well as value-based decision making that guides our behaviour in daily interactions. We highlight the critical role of 5-HT in these processes and suggest that 5-HT can facilitate social learning and may represent an important target for treating psychiatric disorders characterized by impairments in social functioning. This framework also has important implications for psychedelic-assisted therapy as well as for the development of novel treatment approaches and future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Duerler
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital for Psychiatry Zurich, Lenggstr. 31, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Franz X Vollenweider
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital for Psychiatry Zurich, Lenggstr. 31, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Katrin H Preller
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital for Psychiatry Zurich, Lenggstr. 31, Zurich, Switzerland
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10
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The influence of estradiol and progesterone on neurocognition during three phases of the menstrual cycle: Modulating factors. Behav Brain Res 2022; 417:113593. [PMID: 34560130 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Estradiol is an ovarian steroid hormone that peaks shortly before ovulation and significantly affects various brain regions and neurotransmitter systems, with similar and differential effects with progesterone, another ovarian hormone. Studies investigating the neurocognitive processes during the menstrual cycle have focused on the early follicular phase (EFP) characterized by low estradiol and progesterone levels and the mid-luteal phase (MLP) with high estradiol and progesterone levels. However, most studies have failed to include the ovulatory phase, characterized by high estradiol and low progesterone levels. Given the various hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle, we revisited studies suggesting that the menstrual cycle did not affect verbal and spatial abilities and observed that many contain mixed results. Comparing these studies makes it possible to identify relevant modulating factors, such as sample size, participant age, accurate selection of days for testing, asymmetrical practice effects, genetic polymorphisms, and task difficulty. More robust findings are related to improved mental rotation capacity during EFP with challenging tasks and differences in brain activation among menstrual cycle phases during the execution of spatial and verbal tasks. During MLP, less robust findings were observed, possibly modulated by the complex effects of the two hormones on the brain. In conclusion, we propose that it is crucial to include all three menstrual cycle phases and consider these modulating factors to avoid confounding findings.
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Lewis CA, Kimmig ACS, Kroemer NB, Pooseh S, Smolka MN, Sacher J, Derntl B. No Differences in Value-Based Decision-Making Due to Use of Oral Contraceptives. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:817825. [PMID: 35528016 PMCID: PMC9075610 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.817825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluctuating ovarian hormones have been shown to affect decision-making processes in women. While emerging evidence suggests effects of endogenous ovarian hormones such as estradiol and progesterone on value-based decision-making in women, the impact of exogenous synthetic hormones, as in most oral contraceptives, is not clear. In a between-subjects design, we assessed measures of value-based decision-making in three groups of women aged 18 to 29 years, during (1) active oral contraceptive intake (N = 22), (2) the early follicular phase of the natural menstrual cycle (N = 20), and (3) the periovulatory phase of the natural menstrual cycle (N = 20). Estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, and sex-hormone binding globulin levels were assessed in all groups via blood samples. We used a test battery which measured different facets of value-based decision-making: delay discounting, risk-aversion, risk-seeking, and loss aversion. While hormonal levels did show the expected patterns for the three groups, there were no differences in value-based decision-making parameters. Consequently, Bayes factors showed conclusive evidence in support of the null hypothesis. We conclude that women on oral contraceptives show no differences in value-based decision-making compared to the early follicular and periovulatory natural menstrual cycle phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin A. Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Emotion Neuroimaging Lab, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication: Function, Structure, and Plasticity, Leipzig, Germany
- *Correspondence: Carolin A. Lewis,
| | - Ann-Christin S. Kimmig
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Nils B. Kroemer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Shakoor Pooseh
- Department of Psychiatry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Freiburg Center for Data Analysis and Modeling, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michael N. Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Julia Sacher
- Emotion Neuroimaging Lab, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
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Luo T, Zhang Y, Liu X, Liang Q, Zhu L, Lu H, Li H, Zhang H, Yang C, Wu J, Xu R, Zhang Y, Chen Q. The central nervous system can directly regulate breast cancer progression and blockage by quercetin. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2021; 9:999. [PMID: 34277799 PMCID: PMC8267261 DOI: 10.21037/atm-21-2558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Background Neuroinflammation involving the central nervous system (CNS), such as depression, is associated with a significantly increased risk of cancer and cancer-specific mortality due to breast cancer. It is of great significance to learn about the regulatory process of CNS in breast cancer progression. Methods We established a depressive MMTV-PyVT mouse model. The expression levels of neurotransmitters in the serum of depression animal models were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Changes of the microglia cells in the mice's brains were evaluated by immunofluorescence and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Breast cancer progression was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. To further investigate the mechanism by which ant-depressant drugs disrupt breast cancer progression, protein sequencing and network pharmacology were applied to identify related targets. Furthermore, we used conditioned medium from BV-2 microglia to culture breast cancer cells and treated the cells with quercetin at different concentrations; cell viability was assessed by the MTT assay. Results Our results show a possible regulatory target between neuroinflammation in the CNS and development of breast cancer, along with the reversal effect of quercetin on breast cancer progression. Conclusions Chronic stress may be an indicator of breast cancer and that quercetin could be an effective treatment for breast cancer patients with chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyu Luo
- The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Breast, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanmei Zhang
- Department of Breast, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Liu
- The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Breast, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qianyi Liang
- Department of Breast, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ling Zhu
- Department of Breast, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hai Lu
- Department of Breast, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huachao Li
- Department of Breast, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongyan Zhang
- Department of Breast, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunmin Yang
- Department of Breast, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiahua Wu
- Department of Breast, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Xu
- Department of Breast, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuzhu Zhang
- Department of Breast, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qianjun Chen
- Department of Breast, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
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