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Peters JR, Schmalenberger KM, Eng AG, Stumper A, Martel MM, Eisenlohr-Moul TA. Dimensional Affective Sensitivity to Hormones across the Menstrual Cycle (DASH-MC): A transdiagnostic framework for ovarian steroid influences on psychopathology. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02693-4. [PMID: 39143323 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02693-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
Fluctuations in progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2) across the menstrual cycle can exert direct effects on biological systems implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders and represent a key biological source of variability in affective, cognitive, and behavioral disorders. Although these cyclical symptoms may be most readily identified when they occur exclusively in relation to the menstrual cycle, as in DSM-5 premenstrual dysphoric disorder, symptom changes of similar magnitude occur in a larger proportion of people with ongoing psychiatric disorders. Studies investigating cyclical regulation of brain and behavior often produce inconsistent results, which may be attributed to a lack of focus on specific hormonal events and individual differences in related sensitivities. We propose a transdiagnostic Dimensional Affective Sensitivity to Hormones across the Menstrual Cycle (DASH-MC) framework, postulating that atypical neural responses to several key hormonal events provoke specific temporal patterns of affective and behavioral change across the menstrual cycle. We review prospective and experimental evidence providing initial support for these dimensions, which include (1) luteal-onset negative affect caused by a sensitivity to E2 or P4 surges (mediated by neuroactive metabolites such as allopregnanolone), typified by irritability and hyperarousal; (2) perimenstrual-onset negative affect caused by a sensitivity to low or falling E2, typified by low mood and cognitive dysfunction; and (3) preovulatory-onset positive affect dysregulation caused by a sensitivity to E2 surges, typified by harmful substance use and other risky reward-seeking. This multidimensional, transdiagnostic framework for hormone sensitivity can inform more precise research on ovarian steroid regulation of psychopathology, including further mechanistic research, diagnostic refinement, and precision psychiatry treatment development. Additionally, given the high rates of hormone sensitivity across affective disorders, the DASH-MC may guide broader insights into the complex neurobiological vulnerabilities driving female-biased affective risk, as well as potential triggers and mechanisms of affective state change in psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R Peters
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | | | - Ashley G Eng
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Allison Stumper
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Michelle M Martel
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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2
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Barendse MEA, Swartz JR, Taylor SL, Fine JR, Shirtcliff EA, Yoon L, McMillan SJ, Tully LM, Guyer AE. Sex and pubertal variation in reward-related behavior and neural activation in early adolescents. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 66:101358. [PMID: 38401329 PMCID: PMC10904160 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to characterize the role of sex and pubertal markers in reward motivation behavior and neural processing in early adolescence. We used baseline and two-year follow-up data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive DevelopmentSM study (15844 observations; 52% from boys; age 9-13). Pubertal development was measured with parent-reported Pubertal Development Scale, and DHEA, testosterone, and estradiol levels. Reward motivation behavior and neural processing at anticipation and feedback stages were assessed with the Monetary Incentive Delay task. Boys had higher reward motivation than girls, demonstrating greater accuracy difference between reward and neutral trials and higher task earnings. Girls had lower neural activation during reward feedback than boys in the nucleus accumbens, caudate, rostral anterior cingulate, medial orbitofrontal cortex, superior frontal gyrus and posterior cingulate. Pubertal stage and testosterone levels were positively associated with reward motivation behavior, although these associations changed when controlling for age. There were no significant associations between pubertal development and neural activation during reward anticipation and feedback. Sex differences in reward-related processing exist in early adolescence, signaling the need to understand their impact on typical and atypical functioning as it unfolds into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E A Barendse
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - J R Swartz
- Department of Human Ecology, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - S L Taylor
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - J R Fine
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - L Yoon
- Center for Mind and Brain, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - S J McMillan
- Department of Human Ecology, UC Davis, CA, USA; Center for Mind and Brain, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - L M Tully
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - A E Guyer
- Department of Human Ecology, UC Davis, CA, USA; Center for Mind and Brain, UC Davis, CA, USA.
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3
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Kaltsouni E, Schmidt F, Zsido RG, Eriksson A, Sacher J, Sundström-Poromaa I, Sumner RL, Comasco E. Electroencephalography findings in menstrually-related mood disorders: A critical review. Front Neuroendocrinol 2024; 72:101120. [PMID: 38176542 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101120] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
The female reproductive years are characterized by fluctuations in ovarian hormones across the menstrual cycle, which have the potential to modulate neurophysiological and behavioral dynamics. Menstrually-related mood disorders (MRMDs) comprise cognitive-affective or somatic symptoms that are thought to be triggered by the rapid fluctuations in ovarian hormones in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. MRMDs include premenstrual syndrome (PMS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and premenstrual exacerbation (PME) of other psychiatric disorders. Electroencephalography (EEG) non-invasively records in vivo synchronous activity from populations of neurons with high temporal resolution. The present overview sought to systematically review the current state of task-related and resting-state EEG investigations on MRMDs. Preliminary evidence indicates lower alpha asymmetry at rest being associated with MRMDs, while one study points to the effect being luteal-phase specific. Moreover, higher luteal spontaneous frontal brain activity (slow/fast wave ratio as measured by the delta/beta power ratio) has been observed in persons with MRMDs, while sleep architecture results point to potential circadian rhythm disturbances. In this review, we discuss the quality of study designs as well as future perspectives and challenges of supplementing the diagnostic and scientific toolbox for MRMDs with EEG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisavet Kaltsouni
- Department of Womeńs and Childreńs Health, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Felix Schmidt
- Department of Womeńs and Childreńs Health, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden; Centre for Women's Mental Health during the Reproductive Lifespan, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rachel G Zsido
- Cognitive Neuroendocrinology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory for Sex Differences in the Brain, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA
| | - Allison Eriksson
- Centre for Women's Mental Health during the Reproductive Lifespan, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Womeńs and Childreńs Health, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Julia Sacher
- Cognitive Neuroendocrinology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Germany; Clinic of Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig, Germany
| | | | | | - Erika Comasco
- Department of Womeńs and Childreńs Health, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden.
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Soiné A, Walla P. Sex-Determined Alteration of Frontal Electroencephalographic (EEG) Activity in Social Presence. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13020585. [PMID: 36836942 PMCID: PMC9961853 DOI: 10.3390/life13020585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
This study represents a follow-up event-related potential (ERP) analysis of a prior investigation. The previous results showed that participants had most negative-tending ERPs in the mid-frontal brain region during exposure to neutral emotion pictures (compared to negative and positive pictures) while being accompanied by a significant other person (social presence condition). The present analysis aimed at investigating potential sex differences related to this phenomenon. Female and male participants' brain activity data from the previous study were analyzed separately for one representative mid-frontal electrode location selected on the basis of having the highest significance level. As a result, only female participants showed significantly more negative-tending potentials in response to neutral pictures, compared to both other emotion categories (positive and negative) in the social presence condition. This was not found in male participants. The respective ERP effect was most dominant at 838 ms post stimulus onset, which is slightly later than the effect found in the prior study. However, this result is interpreted as evidence that the general effect from the prior study can be understood as a largely female phenomenon. In line with the prior study, the present results are interpreted as a predominantly female activation in the mid-frontal brain region in response to neutral picture stimuli while being accompanied by a significant other person (social presence condition). Although only speculative, this would align with previous studies demonstrating sex-related hormonal and structural differences in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). In general, ACC activation has been associated with an integrative weighting function in ambiguous social settings, which makes sense given the ambiguous nature of neutral pictures in combination with a social presence condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Soiné
- CanBeLab, Psychology Department, Webster Vienna Private University, Praterstrasse 23, 1020 Vienna, Austria
- Medical Neurosciences, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Walla
- Faculty of Psychology, Freud CanBeLab, Sigmund Freud University, Sigmund Freud Platz 1, 1020 Vienna, Austria
- Faculty of Medicine, Sigmund Freud University, Sigmund Freud Platz 3, 1020 Vienna, Austria
- School of Psychology, Newcastle University, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
- Correspondence:
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Gieske A, Sommer T. Independent effects of emotional arousal and reward anticipation on episodic memory formation. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:4527-4541. [PMID: 36205480 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Events that elicit emotional arousal or are associated with reward are more likely remembered. Emotional arousal activates the amygdala and the central noradrenergic system, whereas reward anticipation results in an activity in the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic system. The activation of both pathways enhances memory formation in the hippocampus where their effects are based on similar neural substrates, e.g. tagging of active hippocampal synapses. Moreover, emotional arousal and reward anticipation both enhance attention, which can also affect memory formation. In addition, both neuromodulators interact on the cellular level. Therefore, we tested in the current functional magnetic resonance imaging study whether simultaneously occurring emotional arousal and reward anticipation might have interacting effects on memory formation. We did not find evidence for such an interaction, neither on the behavioral nor on the neural level. Our results further suggest that reward anticipation enhances memory formation rather by an increase in anticipation-related arousal-reflected in activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex-and not dopaminergic midbrain activity. Accompanying behavioral experiments indicated that the effect of reward anticipation on memory is (i) caused at least to some extent by anticipating the speeded response to obtain the reward and not by the valance of the outcome and (ii) can be observed already immediately after encoding, i.e. before consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Gieske
- Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Sommer
- Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Hamburg, Germany
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6
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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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7
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Concas A, Serra M, Porcu P. How hormonal contraceptives shape brain and behavior: A review of preclinical studies. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 66:101017. [PMID: 35843303 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Steroid hormones influence different aspects of brain function, including development, neurogenesis, neuronal excitability, and plasticity, thus affecting emotional states, cognition, sociality, and reward. In women, their levels fluctuate across the lifespan and through the reproductive stages but are also altered by exogenous administration of hormonal contraceptives (HC). HC are widely used by women throughout their fertile life both for contraceptive and therapeutic benefits. However, awareness of their effects on brain function and behavior is still poorly appreciated, despite the emerging evidence of their action at the level of the central nervous system. Here, we summarize results obtained in preclinical studies, mostly conducted in intact female rodents, aimed at investigating the neurobiological effects of HC. HC can alter neuroactive hormones, neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, as well as emotional states, cognition, social and sexual behaviors. Animal studies provide insights into the neurobiological effects of HC with the aim to improve women's health and well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Concas
- Department of Life and Environment Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Anthropology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Mariangela Serra
- Department of Life and Environment Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Anthropology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Patrizia Porcu
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy.
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8
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Sikes-Keilp C, Rubinow DR. In search of sex-related mediators of affective illness. Biol Sex Differ 2021; 12:55. [PMID: 34663459 PMCID: PMC8524875 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-021-00400-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in the rates of affective disorders have been recognized for decades. Studies of physiologic sex-related differences in animals and humans, however, have generally yielded little in terms of explaining these differences. Furthermore, the significance of these findings is difficult to interpret given the dynamic, integrative, and highly context-dependent nature of human physiology. In this article, we provide an overview of the current literature on sex differences as they relate to mood disorders, organizing existing findings into five levels at which sex differences conceivably influence physiology relevant to affective states. These levels include the following: brain structure, network connectivity, signal transduction, transcription/translation, and epigenesis. We then evaluate the importance and limitations of this body of work, as well as offer perspectives on the future of research into sex differences. In creating this overview, we attempt to bring perspective to a body of research that is complex, poorly synthesized, and far from complete, as well as provide a theoretical framework for thinking about the role that sex differences ultimately play in affective regulation. Despite the overall gaps regarding both the underlying pathogenesis of affective illness and the role of sex-related factors in the development of affective disorders, it is evident that sex should be considered as an important contributor to alterations in neural function giving rise to susceptibility to and expression of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David R Rubinow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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Joue G, Chakroun K, Bayer J, Gläscher J, Zhang L, Fuss J, Hennies N, Sommer T. Sex Differences and Exogenous Estrogen Influence Learning and Brain Responses to Prediction Errors. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:2022-2036. [PMID: 34649284 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal studies show marked sex differences as well as effects of estrogen (E2) in the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic (DA) pathways, which play a critical role in reward processing and reinforcement learning and are also implicated in drug addiction. In this computational pharmacological fMRI study, we investigate the effects of both factors, sex and estrogen, on reinforcement learning and the dopaminergic system in humans; 67 male and 64 naturally cycling female volunteers, the latter in their low-hormone phase, were randomly assigned, double-blind, to take E2 or placebo. They completed a reinforcement learning task in the MRI scanner for which we have previously shown reward prediction error (RPE)-related activity to be dopaminergic. We found RPE-related brain activity to be enhanced in women compared with men and to a greater extent when E2 levels were elevated in both sexes. However, both factors, female sex and E2, slowed adaptation to RPEs (smaller learning rate). This discrepancy of larger RPE-related activity yet smaller learning rates can be explained by organizational sex differences and activational effects of circulating E2, which both affect DA release differently to DA receptor binding capacities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Joue
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Karima Chakroun
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Janine Bayer
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan Gläscher
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lei Zhang
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Fuss
- Institute for Sex Research, Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nora Hennies
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Sommer
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
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Veselic S, Jocham G, Gausterer C, Wagner B, Ernhoefer-Reßler M, Lanzenberger R, Eisenegger C, Lamm C, Losecaat Vermeer A. A causal role of estradiol in human reinforcement learning. Horm Behav 2021; 134:105022. [PMID: 34273676 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The sex hormone estradiol is hypothesized to play a key role in human cognition, and reward processing specifically, via increased dopamine D1-receptor signalling. However, the effect of estradiol on reward processing in men has never been established. To fill this gap, we performed a double-blind placebo-controlled study in which men (N = 100) received either a single dose of estradiol (2 mg) or a placebo. Subjects performed a probabilistic reinforcement learning task where they had to choose between two options with varying reward probabilities to maximize monetary reward. Results showed that estradiol administration increased reward sensitivity compared to placebo. This effect was observed in subjects' choices, how much weight they assigned to their previous choices, and subjective reports about the reward probabilities. Furthermore, effects of estradiol were moderated by reward sensitivity, as measured through the BIS/BAS questionnaire. Using reinforcement learning models, we found that behavioral effects of estradiol were reflected in increased learning rates. These results demonstrate a causal role of estradiol within the framework of reinforcement learning, by enhancing reward sensitivity and learning. Furthermore, they provide preliminary evidence for dopamine-related genetic variants moderating the effect of estradiol on reward processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastijan Veselic
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Biopsychology Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria; Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, University College London, London, UK; Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Gerhard Jocham
- Biological Psychology of Decision Making, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christian Gausterer
- FDZ-Forensisches DNA Zentrallabor GmbH, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernhard Wagner
- Laboratory for Chromatographic & Spectrometric Analysis, FH JOANNEUM, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Eisenegger
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Biopsychology Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Claus Lamm
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Biopsychology Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria; Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Annabel Losecaat Vermeer
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Biopsychology Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria; Department of Decision Neuroscience and Nutrition, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Germany; Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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11
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Warren JG, Goodwin L, Gage SH, Rose AK. The effects of menstrual cycle stage and hormonal contraception on alcohol consumption and craving: A pilot investigation. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2021; 5:100022. [PMID: 35754447 PMCID: PMC9216467 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2020.100022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and aims Although alcohol research often comments on observed sex differences (i.e. patterns of consumption), there is a lack of investigation into the reasons for these differences. For females, the regular hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle are a potential influencing factor for alcohol consumption. In this pilot we aimed to investigate the relationship between menstrual cycle phase (follicular-phase [FP] and luteal-phase [LP]) and status (naturally-cycling [NC] and hormonal-contraception [HC]) on alcohol consumption and craving of casual drinkers, and identify potential influencing factors in this relationship. Methods Study One: participants (n = 28; 15 HC, 13 NC) were either NC or HC (between subject factor: hormonal status) and attended two lab-based sessions corresponding with their FP and LP (within factor: cycle phase [NC] or time [HC]). Participants completed a mock alcohol taste-test, in addition to pre- and post-consumption measures of craving, anxiety, stress, and mood. Study Two: participants (n = 262; 144 HC, 118 NC) were either NC or HC (between subject factor) and completed an online study assessing menstrual cycle phase, alcohol use, craving, impulsivity, and stress. Results Study One: A significant effect of cycle phase was found on alcohol craving (p = .019): craving was higher during the FP compared to the LP for NC participants, with HC participants showing no difference across sessions. There was no effect of phase or status on alcohol consumption, stress, or mood (ps > .05). Study Two: Regression analyses showed that age, craving, impulsivity and stress were significantly associated with alcohol consumption for NC participants (ps < .05), however only age and craving were associated with consumption for the HC participants (ps < .001). Conclusions Alcohol craving was higher during the follicular, compared to the luteal, phase for the naturally cycling group, and different factors may be associated with drinking behaviour across women who are NC and those using HC. Future alcohol research should consider the menstrual cycle and contraceptive status for females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine G. Warren
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, UK
| | - Laura Goodwin
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, UK
- Liverpool Centre for Alcohol Research, University of Liverpool, UK
| | - Suzanne H. Gage
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, UK
- Liverpool Centre for Alcohol Research, University of Liverpool, UK
| | - Abigail K. Rose
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, UK
- Liverpool Centre for Alcohol Research, University of Liverpool, UK
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12
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Dubol M, Epperson CN, Sacher J, Pletzer B, Derntl B, Lanzenberger R, Sundström-Poromaa I, Comasco E. Neuroimaging the menstrual cycle: A multimodal systematic review. Front Neuroendocrinol 2021; 60:100878. [PMID: 33098847 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that ovarian hormones affect brain structure, chemistry and function of women in their reproductive age, potentially shaping their behavior and mental health. Throughout the reproductive years, estrogens and progesterone levels fluctuate across the menstrual cycle and can modulate neural circuits involved in affective and cognitive processes. Here, we review seventy-seven neuroimaging studies and provide a comprehensive and data-driven evaluation of the accumulating evidence on brain plasticity associated with endogenous ovarian hormone fluctuations in naturally cycling women (n = 1304). The results particularly suggest modulatory effects of ovarian hormones fluctuations on the reactivity and structure of cortico-limbic brain regions. These findings highlight the importance of performing multimodal neuroimaging studies on neural correlates of systematic ovarian hormone fluctuations in naturally cycling women based on careful menstrual cycle staging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Dubol
- Department of Neuroscience, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - C Neill Epperson
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Family Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine-Anschutz Medical Campus, USA
| | - Julia Sacher
- Emotion Neuroimaging Lab, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Germany
| | - Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Austria
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Erika Comasco
- Department of Neuroscience, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
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13
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Ambrase A, Lewis CA, Barth C, Derntl B. Influence of ovarian hormones on value-based decision-making systems: Contribution to sexual dimorphisms in mental disorders. Front Neuroendocrinol 2021; 60:100873. [PMID: 32987043 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Women and men exhibit differences in behavior when making value-based decisions. Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain these findings, stressing differences in functional lateralization of the brain, functional activation, neurotransmitter involvement and more recently, sex hormones. While a significant interaction of neurotransmitter systems and sex hormones has been shown for both sexes, decision-making in women might be particularly affected by variations of ovarian hormones. In this review we have gathered information from animal and human studies on how ovarian hormones affect decision-making processes in females by interacting with neurotransmitter systems at functionally relevant brain locations and thus modify the computation of decision aspects. We also review previous findings on impaired decision-making in animals and clinical populations with substance use disorder and depression, emphasizing how little we know about the role of ovarian hormones in aberrant decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiste Ambrase
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Carolin A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, 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
| | - Claudia Barth
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tuebingen, Germany; TübingenNeuroCampus, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; LEAD Research School and Graduate Network, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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14
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Leukel C, Schümann D, Kalisch R, Sommer T, Bunzeck N. Dopamine Related Genes Differentially Affect Declarative Long-Term Memory in Healthy Humans. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:539725. [PMID: 33328916 PMCID: PMC7673390 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.539725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, monetary reward can promote behavioral performance including response times, accuracy, and subsequent recognition memory. Recent studies have shown that the dopaminergic system plays an essential role here, but the link to interindividual differences remains unclear. To further investigate this issue, we focused on previously described polymorphisms of genes affecting dopaminergic neurotransmission: DAT1 40 base pair (bp), DAT1 30 bp, DRD4 48 bp, and cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CNR1). Specifically, 669 healthy humans participated in a delayed recognition memory paradigm on two consecutive days. On the first day, male vs. female faces served as cues predicting an immediate monetary reward upon correct button presses. Subsequently, participants performed a remember/know recognition memory task on the same day and 1 day later. As predicted, reward increased accuracy and accelerated response times, which were modulated by DAT 30 bp. However, reward did not promote subsequent recognition memory performance and there was no interaction with any genotype tested here. Importantly, there were differential effects of genotype on declarative long-term memory independent of reward: (a) DAT1 40 bp was linked to the quality of memory with a more pronounced difference between recollection and familiarity in the heterozygous and homozygous 10-R as compared to homozygous 9-R; (b) DAT1 30 bp was linked to memory decay, which was most pronounced in homozygous 4-R; (c) DRD4 48 bp was linked to overall recognition memory with higher performance in the short allele group; and (d) CNR1 was linked to overall memory with reduced performance in the homozygous short group. These findings give new insights into how polymorphisms, which are related to dopaminergic neuromodulation, differentially affect long-term recognition memory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Leukel
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Dirk Schümann
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Raffael Kalisch
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Neuroimaging Center (NIC), Focus Program Translational Neuroscience, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany.,Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
| | - Tobias Sommer
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nico Bunzeck
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.,Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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15
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Sun P, Wang J, Zhang M, Duan X, Wei Y, Xu F, Ma Y, Zhang YH. Sex-Related Differential Whole-Brain Input Atlas of Locus Coeruleus Noradrenaline Neurons. Front Neural Circuits 2020; 14:53. [PMID: 33071759 PMCID: PMC7541090 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2020.00053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As the most important organ in our bodies, the brain plays a critical role in deciding sex-related differential features; however, the underlying neural circuitry basis remains unclear. Here, we used a cell-type-specific rabies virus-mediated monosynaptic tracing system to generate a sex differences-related whole-brain input atlas of locus coeruleus noradrenaline (LC-NE) neurons. We developed custom pipelines for brain-wide comparisons of input sources in both sexes with the registration of the whole-brain data set to the Allen Mouse Brain Reference Atlas. Among 257 distinct anatomical regions, we demonstrated the differential proportions of inputs to LC-NE neurons in male and female mice at different levels. Locus coeruleus noradrenaline neurons of two sexes showed general similarity in the input patterns, but with differentiated input proportions quantitatively from major brain regions and diverse sub-regions. For instance, inputs to male LC-NE neurons were found mainly in the cerebrum, interbrain, and cerebellum, whereas inputs to female LC-NE neurons were found in the midbrain and hindbrain. We further found that specific subsets of nuclei nested within sub-regions contributed to overall sex-related differences in the input circuitry. Furthermore, among the totaled 123 anatomical regions with proportion of inputs >0.1%, we also identified 11 sub-regions with significant statistical differences of total inputs between male and female mice, and seven of them also showed such differences in ipsilateral hemispheres. Our study not only provides a structural basis to facilitate our understanding of sex differences at a circuitry level but also provides clues for future sexually differentiated functional studies related to LC-NE neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Sun
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics - Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Junjun Wang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics - Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics - Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xinxin Duan
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics - Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yunfei Wei
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics - Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Fuqiang Xu
- Centre for Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, CAS Centre for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Ma
- HUST-WHBC United Hematology Optical Imaging Center, Wuhan Blood Center (WHBC), Wuhan, China
| | - Yu-Hui Zhang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics - Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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16
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Hornung J, Lewis CA, Derntl B. Sex hormones and human brain function. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 175:195-207. [PMID: 33008525 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64123-6.00014-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Sex hormones have organizational and activational effects on the human brain and can interact with the neurotransmitter systems. These biologic mechanisms may have a far-reaching impact, with both behavioral consequences and structural as well as functional brain modulation. The impact of cycling hormone levels throughout the menstrual cycle on cognitive and emotion processing has especially received some attention recently. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to give an overview of findings regarding the effects of estradiol and progesterone, but also testosterone, on functional brain domains comprising cognition, emotion, and reward processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Hornung
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Carolin A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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17
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Peters JR, Owens SA, Schmalenberger KM, Eisenlohr‐Moul TA. Differential effects of the menstrual cycle on reactive and proactive aggression in borderline personality disorder. Aggress Behav 2020; 46:151-161. [PMID: 31957896 DOI: 10.1002/ab.21877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by rapidly shifting symptoms, including intense anger and aggressive behavior. Understanding how fluctuations in ovarian hormones across the menstrual cycle may contribute to symptom instability is key for accurate assessment of BPD symptoms and effective interventions. Reactive and proactive aggression, as well as anger-in and anger-out, were assessed daily in 15 physically healthy, unmedicated naturally cycling female individuals meeting criteria for BPD across 35 days. Urine luteinizing hormone surge and salivary progesterone were used to confirm ovulation and verify the cycle phase. Multilevel models evaluated cyclical differences of symptoms between cycle phases. Both forms of aggressive behavior demonstrated marked cycle effects, with reactive aggression highest during the midluteal cycle phase, co-occurring with initial increases in anger and irritability and followed by perimenstrual peaks in anger and anger-in. In contrast, highest levels of proactive aggression were observed during the follicular and ovulatory phases, when emotional symptoms and anger were otherwise at lowest levels. These findings highlight the importance of identifying the function of aggression when considering potential psychological and biological influences. Naturally cycling individuals with BPD may be at elevated risk for luteal worsening of a range of interpersonally reactive symptoms, including reactive aggression, whereas proactive aggression may occur more in phases characterized by less emotional and cognitive vulnerability and greater reward sensitivity. Research on aggression in this population should consider cycle effects. Cycling individuals with BPD attempting to reduce aggressive behavior may benefit from cycle-tracking to increase awareness of these effects and to develop appropriate strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R. Peters
- Department of Psychiatry and Human BehaviorAlpert Medical School of Brown UniversityProvidence Rhode Island
| | - Sarah A. Owens
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill North Carolina
| | - Katja M. Schmalenberger
- Institute for Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial MedicineHeidelberg UniversityHeidelberg Germany
| | - Tory A. Eisenlohr‐Moul
- Departments of Psychiatry and PsychologyUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoChicago Illinois
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill North Carolina
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18
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Bayer J, Rusch T, Zhang L, Gläscher J, Sommer T. Dose-dependent effects of estrogen on prediction error related neural activity in the nucleus accumbens of healthy young women. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:745-755. [PMID: 31773208 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05409-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Whereas the effect of the sex steroid 17-beta-estradiol (E2) on dopaminergic (DA) transmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) is well evidenced in female rats, studies in humans are inconsistent. Moreover, linear and inverted u-shaped dose response curves have been observed for E2's effects on hippocampal plasticity, but the shape of dose response curves for E2's effects on the NAc is much less characterized. OBJECTIVES Investigation of dose response curves for E2's effects on DA-related neural activity in the human NAc. METHODS Placebo or E2 valerate in doses of 2, 4, 6 or 12 mg was orally administered to 125 naturally cycling young women during the low-hormone menstruation phase on two consecutive days using a randomized, double-blinded design. The E2 treatment regimen induced a wide range of E2 levels, from physiological (2- and 4-mg groups; equivalent to cycle peak) to supraphysiological levels (6- and 12-mg groups; equivalent to early pregnancy). This made it possible to study different dose response functions for E2's effects on NAc activity. During E2 peak, participants performed a well-established reversal learning paradigm. We used trial-wise prediction errors (PE) estimated via a computational reinforcement learning model as a proxy for dopaminergic activity. Linear and quadratic regression analyses predicting PE-related NAc activity from salivary E2 levels were calculated. RESULTS There was a positive linear relationship between PE-associated NAc activity and salivary E2 increases. CONCLUSIONS The randomized, placebo-controlled elevation of E2 levels stimulates NAc activity in the human brain, likely mediated by dopaminergic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Bayer
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Tessa Rusch
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jan Gläscher
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Sommer
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
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19
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The brain as a target of hormonal contraceptives: Evidence from animal studies. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 55:100799. [PMID: 31614151 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Hormonal contraceptives are frequently prescribed drugs among women, mainly for their reversible contraceptive purposes but also for beneficial effects in some gynecological pathologies. Despite extensive studies aimed at elucidating the physical effects of hormonal contraceptives and ameliorating some unwanted outcomes, little is known yet about the effects of these drugs on brain function and related behavior, which are known to be modulated by endogenous steroid hormones. We describe the current literature on preclinical studies in animals undertaken to investigate effects of hormonal contraceptives on brain function and behavior. These studies suggest that hormonal contraceptives influence neurohormones, neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and emotional, cognitive, social and sexual behaviors. Animals allow examination of the basic biological mechanisms of these drugs, devoid of the psychological aspect often associated to hormonal contraceptives' use in women. Understanding the neurobiological effects of these drugs may improve women's health and may help women making informed choices on hormonal contraception.
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20
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Sex differences and the neurobiology of affective disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:111-128. [PMID: 30061743 PMCID: PMC6235863 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0148-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Observations of the disproportionate incidence of depression in women compared with men have long preceded the recent explosion of interest in sex differences. Nonetheless, the source and implications of this epidemiologic sex difference remain unclear, as does the practical significance of the multitude of sex differences that have been reported in brain structure and function. In this article, we attempt to provide a framework for thinking about how sex and reproductive hormones (particularly estradiol as an example) might contribute to affective illness. After briefly reviewing some observed sex differences in depression, we discuss how sex might alter brain function through hormonal effects (both organizational (programmed) and activational (acute)), sex chromosome effects, and the interaction of sex with the environment. We next review sex differences in the brain at the structural, cellular, and network levels. We then focus on how sex and reproductive hormones regulate systems implicated in the pathophysiology of depression, including neuroplasticity, genetic and neural networks, the stress axis, and immune function. Finally, we suggest several models that might explain a sex-dependent differential regulation of affect and susceptibility to affective illness. As a disclaimer, the studies cited in this review are not intended to be comprehensive but rather serve as examples of the multitude of levels at which sex and reproductive hormones regulate brain structure and function. As such and despite our current ignorance regarding both the ontogeny of affective illness and the impact of sex on that ontogeny, sex differences may provide a lens through which we may better view the mechanisms underlying affective regulation and dysfunction.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Risk for suicidal behavior may fluctuate across the menstrual cycle. Here, we use the RDoC framework to review potential mechanisms by which the cycle may increase acute suicide risk. RECENT FINDINGS The menstrual cycle impacts the majority of RDoC constructs linked to suicide risk, particularly among hormone-sensitive women, such as those with premenstrual dysphoric disorder or premenstrual exacerbation of a psychiatric disorder. Despite this, there are no published studies examining suicidal ideation, planning, or behavior longitudinally across the cycle. More work is needed to understand how hormone sensitivity may relate to both trait and state suicide risk. Intensive multilevel investigations of cyclical hormone effects on suicide risk through specific RDoC mechanisms are suggested. This is a fertile research area and may provide key insights regarding the mechanisms of acute suicide risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Owens
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tory Eisenlohr-Moul
- Department of Psychiatry, Women's Mental Health Research Program, University of Illinois at Chicago, 912 S Wood St., South Tower, Room 335, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
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22
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23
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Wei SM, Schiller CE, Schmidt PJ, Rubinow DR. The role of ovarian steroids in affective disorders. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2018.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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24
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Davidenko O, Bonny JM, Morrot G, Jean B, Claise B, Benmoussa A, Fromentin G, Tomé D, Nadkarni N, Darcel N. Differences in BOLD responses in brain reward network reflect the tendency to assimilate a surprising flavor stimulus to an expected stimulus. Neuroimage 2018; 183:37-46. [PMID: 30053516 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.07.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
External information can modify the subjective value of a tasted stimulus, but little is known about neural mechanisms underlying these behavioral modifications. This study used flavored drinks to produce variable degrees of discrepancy between expected and received flavor. During a learning session, 43 healthy young men learned 4 symbol-flavor associations. In a separate session, associations were presented again during an fMRI scan, but half of the trials introduced discrepancy with previously learned associations. Liking ratings of drinks were collected and were analyzed using a linear model to define the degree to which discrepant symbols affected liking ratings of the subjects during the fMRI session. Based on these results, a GLM analysis of fMRI data was conducted to determine neural correlates of observed behavior. Groups of subjects were composed based on their behavior in response to discrepant symbols, and comparison of brain activity between groups showed that activation in the PCC and the caudate nucleus was more potent in those subjects in which liking was not affected by discrepant symbols. These activations were not found in subjects who assimilated unexpected flavors to flavors preceeded by discrepant symbols. Instead, these subjects showed differences in the activity in the parietal operculum. The activity of reward network appears to be related to assimilation of received flavor to expected flavor in response to symbol-flavor discrepancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Davidenko
- UMR PNCA, AgroParisTech, INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, 75005 Paris, France; Chaire ANCA, Food Nutrition and Eating Behavior, Paris, France.
| | | | - Gil Morrot
- Laboratoire Charles Coulomb, UMR 5221 CNRS and Université Montpellier 2, Montpellier, France
| | - Betty Jean
- Neuroradiologie A, Plateforme Recherche IRM - CHU Gabriel-Montpied, F63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Béatrice Claise
- Neuroradiologie A, Plateforme Recherche IRM - CHU Gabriel-Montpied, F63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | | | - Gilles Fromentin
- UMR PNCA, AgroParisTech, INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Daniel Tomé
- UMR PNCA, AgroParisTech, INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Nachiket Nadkarni
- UMR PNCA, AgroParisTech, INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Darcel
- UMR PNCA, AgroParisTech, INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, 75005 Paris, France
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25
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Dugré JR, Dumais A, Bitar N, Potvin S. Loss anticipation and outcome during the Monetary Incentive Delay Task: a neuroimaging systematic review and meta-analysis. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4749. [PMID: 29761060 PMCID: PMC5949205 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Reward seeking and avoidance of punishment are key motivational processes. Brain-imaging studies often use the Monetary Incentive Delay Task (MIDT) to evaluate motivational processes involved in maladaptive behavior. Although the bulk of research has been done on the MIDT reward events, little is known about the neural basis of avoidance of punishment. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis of brain activations during anticipation and receipt of monetary losses in healthy controls. Methods All functional neuro-imaging studies using the MIDT in healthy controls were retrieved using PubMed, Google Scholar & EMBASE databases. Functional neuro-imaging data was analyzed using the Seed-based d Mapping Software. Results Thirty-five studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising 699 healthy adults. In both anticipation and loss outcome phases, participants showed large and robust activations in the bilateral striatum, (anterior) insula, and anterior cingulate gyrus relatively to Loss > Neutral contrast. Although relatively similar activation patterns were observed during the two event types, they differed in the pattern of prefrontal activations: ventro-lateral prefrontal activations were observed during loss anticipation, while medial prefrontal activations were observed during loss receipt. Discussion Considering that previous meta-analyses highlighted activations in the medial prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex, the anterior insula and the ventral striatum, the current meta-analysis highlighted the potential specificity of the ventro-lateral prefrontal regions, the median cingulate cortex and the amygdala in the loss events. Future studies can rely on these latter results to examine the neural correlates of loss processing in psychiatric populations characterized by harm avoidance or insensitivity to punishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jules R Dugré
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alexandre Dumais
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Institut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nathalie Bitar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stéphane Potvin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Sundström-Poromaa I. The Menstrual Cycle Influences Emotion but Has Limited Effect on Cognitive Function. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2018; 107:349-376. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2018.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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27
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Harden KP, Mann FD, Grotzinger AD, Patterson MW, Steinberg L, Tackett JL, Tucker-Drob EM. Developmental differences in reward sensitivity and sensation seeking in adolescence: Testing sex-specific associations with gonadal hormones and pubertal development. J Pers Soc Psychol 2017; 115:161-178. [PMID: 29094961 DOI: 10.1037/pspp0000172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Sensation seeking has been found to increase, on average, from childhood to adolescence. Developmental scientists have hypothesized that this change could be driven by the rise of gonadal hormones at puberty, which affect reward-related processing in the brain. In a large, age-heterogeneous, population-based sample of adolescents and young adults (N = 810; ages 13-20 years), we tested for sex-specific associations between age, self-reported pubertal development, gonadal hormones (estradiol and testosterone) as measured in saliva, reward sensitivity as measured by a multivariate battery of in-laboratory tasks (including the Iowa gambling task, balloon analogue risk task, and stoplight task), and self-reported sensation seeking. Reward sensitivity was more strongly associated with sensation seeking in males than females. For both males and females, reward sensitivity was unrelated to age but was higher among those who reported more advanced pubertal development. There were significant sex differences in the effects of self-reported pubertal development on sensation seeking, with a positive association evident in males but a negative association in females. Moreover, gonadal hormones also showed diverging associations with sensation seeking-positive with testosterone but negative with estradiol. Overall, the results indicate that sensation seeking among adolescents and young adults depends on a complex constellation of developmental influences that operate via sex-specific mechanisms. (PsycINFO Database Record
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The combined effects of menstrual cycle phase and acute stress on reward-related processing. Biol Psychol 2017; 125:130-145. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Revised: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Hamstra DA, de Kloet ER, Quataert I, Jansen M, Van der Does W. Mineralocorticoid receptor haplotype, estradiol, progesterone and emotional information processing. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 76:162-173. [PMID: 27936434 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.11.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Revised: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Carriers of MR-haplotype 1 and 3 (GA/CG; rs5522 and rs2070951) are more sensitive to the influence of oral contraceptives (OC) and menstrual cycle phase on emotional information processing than MR-haplotype 2 (CA) carriers. We investigated whether this effect is associated with estradiol (E2) and/or progesterone (P4) levels. METHOD Healthy MR-genotyped premenopausal women were tested twice in a counterbalanced design. Naturally cycling (NC) women were tested in the early-follicular and mid-luteal phase and OC-users during OC-intake and in the pill-free week. At both sessions E2 and P4 were assessed in saliva. Tests included implicit and explicit positive and negative affect, attentional blink accuracy, emotional memory, emotion recognition, and risky decision-making (gambling). RESULTS MR-haplotype 2 homozygotes had higher implicit happiness scores than MR-haplotype 2 heterozygotes (p=0.031) and MR-haplotype 1/3 carriers (p<0.001). MR-haplotype 2 homozygotes also had longer reaction times to happy faces in an emotion recognition test than MR-haplotype 1/3 (p=0.001). Practice effects were observed for most measures. The pattern of correlations between information processing and P4 or E2 differed between sessions, as well as the moderating effects of the MR genotype. In the first session the MR-genotype moderated the influence of P4 on implicit anxiety (sr=-0.30; p=0.005): higher P4 was associated with reduction in implicit anxiety, but only in MR-haplotype 2 homozygotes (sr=-0.61; p=0.012). In the second session the MR-genotype moderated the influence of E2 on the recognition of facial expressions of happiness (sr=-0.21; p=0.035): only in MR-haplotype 1/3 higher E2 was correlated with happiness recognition (sr=0.29; p=0.005). In the second session higher E2 and P4 were negatively correlated with accuracy in lag2 trials of the attentional blink task (p<0.001). Thus NC women, compared to OC-users, performed worse on lag 2 trials (p=0.041). CONCLUSION The higher implicit happiness scores of MR-haplotype 2 homozygotes are in line with previous reports. Performance in the attentional blink task may be influenced by OC-use. The MR-genotype moderates the influence of E2 and P4 on emotional information processing. This moderating effect may depend on the novelty of the situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle A Hamstra
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands.
| | - E Ronald de Kloet
- Department of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
| | - Ina Quataert
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Myrthe Jansen
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Willem Van der Does
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
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Alarcón G, Cservenka A, Nagel BJ. Adolescent neural response to reward is related to participant sex and task motivation. Brain Cogn 2016; 111:51-62. [PMID: 27816780 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2016.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Risky decision making is prominent during adolescence, perhaps contributed to by heightened sensation seeking and ongoing maturation of reward and dopamine systems in the brain, which are, in part, modulated by sex hormones. In this study, we examined sex differences in the neural substrates of reward sensitivity during a risky decision-making task and hypothesized that compared with girls, boys would show heightened brain activation in reward-relevant regions, particularly the nucleus accumbens, during reward receipt. Further, we hypothesized that testosterone and estradiol levels would mediate this sex difference. Moreover, we predicted boys would make more risky choices on the task. While boys showed increased nucleus accumbens blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response relative to girls, sex hormones did not mediate this effect. As predicted, boys made a higher percentage of risky decisions during the task. Interestingly, boys also self-reported more motivation to perform well and earn money on the task, while girls self-reported higher state anxiety prior to the scan session. Motivation to earn money partially mediated the effect of sex on nucleus accumbens activity during reward. Previous research shows that increased motivation and salience of reinforcers is linked with more robust striatal BOLD response, therefore psychosocial factors, in addition to sex, may play an important role in reward sensitivity. Elucidating neurobiological mechanisms that support adolescent sex differences in risky decision making has important implications for understanding individual differences that lead to advantageous and adverse behaviors that affect health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Alarcón
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Anita Cservenka
- School of Psychological Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Bonnie J Nagel
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
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31
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Hamstra DA, de Kloet ER, Tollenaar M, Verkuil B, Manai M, Putman P, Van der Does W. Mineralocorticoid receptor haplotype moderates the effects of oral contraceptives and menstrual cycle on emotional information processing. J Psychopharmacol 2016; 30:1054-61. [PMID: 27222270 DOI: 10.1177/0269881116647504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The processing of emotional information is affected by menstrual cycle phase and by the use of oral contraceptives (OCs). The stress hormone cortisol is known to affect emotional information processing via the limbic mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). OBJECTIVES We investigated in an exploratory study whether the MR-genotype moderates the effect of both OC-use and menstrual cycle phase on emotional cognition. METHODS Healthy premenopausal volunteers (n=93) of West-European descent completed a battery of emotional cognition tests. Forty-nine participants were OC users and 44 naturally cycling, 21 of whom were tested in the early follicular (EF) and 23 in the mid-luteal (ML) phase of the menstrual cycle. RESULTS In MR-haplotype 1/3 carriers, ML women gambled more than EF women when their risk to lose was relatively small. In MR-haplotype 2, ML women gambled more than EF women, regardless of their odds of winning. OC-users with MR-haplotype 1/3 recognised fewer facial expressions than ML women with MR-haplotype 1/3. CONCLUSION MR-haplotype 1/3 carriers may be more sensitive to the influence of their female hormonal status. MR-haplotype 2 carriers showed more risky decision-making. As this may reflect optimistic expectations, this finding may support previous observations in female carriers of MR-haplotype 2 in a naturalistic cohort study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle A Hamstra
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - E Ronald de Kloet
- Department of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marieke Tollenaar
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Bart Verkuil
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Meriem Manai
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Putman
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Willem Van der Does
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
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32
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Della Libera C, Calletti R, Eštočinová J, Chelazzi L, Santandrea E. Reward-based plasticity of spatial priority maps: Exploiting inter-subject variability to probe the underlying neurobiology. Cogn Neurosci 2016; 8:85-101. [PMID: 27417434 DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2016.1213226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Recent evidence indicates that the attentional priority of objects and locations is altered by the controlled delivery of reward, reflecting reward-based attentional learning. Here, we take an approach hinging on intersubject variability to probe the neurobiological bases of the reward-driven plasticity of spatial priority maps. Specifically, we ask whether an individual's susceptibility to the reward-based treatment can be accounted for by specific predictors, notably personality traits that are linked to reward processing (along with more general personality traits), but also gender. Using a visual search protocol, we show that when different target locations are associated with unequal reward probability, different priorities are acquired by the more rewarded relative to the less rewarded locations. However, while males exhibit the expected pattern of results, with greater priority for locations associated with higher reward, females show an opposite trend. Critically, both the extent and the direction of reward-based adjustments are further predicted by personality traits indexing reward sensitivity, indicating that not only male and female brains are differentially sensitive to reward, but also that specific personality traits further contribute to shaping their learning-dependent attentional plasticity. These results contribute to a better understanding of the neurobiology underlying reward-dependent attentional learning and cross-subject variability in this domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Della Libera
- a Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences , University of Verona , Verona , Italy
| | - Riccardo Calletti
- a Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences , University of Verona , Verona , Italy
| | - Jana Eštočinová
- a Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences , University of Verona , Verona , Italy
| | - Leonardo Chelazzi
- a Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences , University of Verona , Verona , Italy.,b Italian Institute of Neuroscience (INN) , Verona , Italy
| | - Elisa Santandrea
- a Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences , University of Verona , Verona , Italy
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33
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Schiller CE, Johnson SL, Abate AC, Schmidt PJ, Rubinow DR. Reproductive Steroid Regulation of Mood and Behavior. Compr Physiol 2016; 6:1135-60. [PMID: 27347888 PMCID: PMC6309888 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c150014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In this article, we examine evidence supporting the role of reproductive steroids in the regulation of mood and behavior in women and the nature of that role. In the first half of the article, we review evidence for the following: (i) the reproductive system is designed to regulate behavior; (ii) from the subcellular to cellular to circuit to behavior, reproductive steroids are powerful neuroregulators; (iii) affective disorders are disorders of behavioral state; and (iv) reproductive steroids affect virtually every system implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. In the second half of the article, we discuss the diagnosis of the three reproductive endocrine-related mood disorders (premenstrual dysphoric disorder, postpartum depression, and perimenopausal depression) and present evidence supporting the relevance of reproductive steroids to these conditions. Existing evidence suggests that changes in reproductive steroid levels during specific reproductive states (i.e., the premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, parturition, and the menopause transition) trigger affective dysregulation in susceptible women, thus suggesting the etiopathogenic relevance of these hormonal changes in reproductive mood disorders. Understanding the source of individual susceptibility is critical to both preventing the onset of illness and developing novel, individualized treatments for reproductive-related affective dysregulation. © 2016 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 6:1135-1160, 2016e.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal Edler Schiller
- Psychiatry Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sarah L. Johnson
- Psychiatry Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anna C. Abate
- Psychiatry Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Peter J. Schmidt
- Section on Behavioral Endocrinology, National Institute of Mental Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - David R. Rubinow
- Psychiatry Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Macoveanu J, Henningsson S, Pinborg A, Jensen P, Knudsen GM, Frokjaer VG, Siebner HR. Sex-Steroid Hormone Manipulation Reduces Brain Response to Reward. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:1057-65. [PMID: 26245498 PMCID: PMC4748430 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Revised: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Mood disorders are twice as frequent in women than in men. Risk mechanisms for major depression include adverse responses to acute changes in sex-steroid hormone levels, eg, postpartum in women. Such adverse responses may involve an altered processing of rewards. Here, we examine how women's vulnerability for mood disorders is linked to sex-steroid dynamics by investigating the effects of a pharmacologically induced fluctuation in ovarian sex steroids on the brain response to monetary rewards. In a double-blinded placebo controlled study, healthy women were randomized to receive either placebo or the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) goserelin, which causes a net decrease in sex-steroid levels. Fifty-eight women performed a gambling task while undergoing functional MRI at baseline, during the mid-follicular phase, and again following the intervention. The gambling task enabled us to map regional brain activity related to the magnitude of risk during choice and to monetary reward. The GnRHa intervention caused a net reduction in ovarian sex steroids (estradiol and testosterone) and increased depression symptoms. Compared with placebo, GnRHa reduced amygdala's reactivity to high monetary rewards. There was a positive association between the individual changes in testosterone and changes in bilateral insula response to monetary rewards. Our data provide evidence for the involvement of sex-steroid hormones in reward processing. A blunted amygdala response to rewarding stimuli following a rapid decline in sex-steroid hormones may reflect a reduced engagement in positive experiences. Abnormal reward processing may constitute a neurobiological mechanism by which sex-steroid fluctuations provoke mood disorders in susceptible women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Macoveanu
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark,Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark,Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark,Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Kettegaard Alle 30, Hvidovre DK-2650, Denmark, Tel: +0045 3195 3196, E-mail:
| | - Susanne Henningsson
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark,Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anja Pinborg
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark,Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark,Gynecology and Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Peter Jensen
- Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark,Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gitte M Knudsen
- Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark,Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vibe G Frokjaer
- Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark,Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark,Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hartwig R Siebner
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark,Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Worbe Y, Savulich G, de Wit S, Fernandez-Egea E, Robbins TW. Tryptophan Depletion Promotes Habitual over Goal-Directed Control of Appetitive Responding in Humans. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2015; 18:pyv013. [PMID: 25663044 PMCID: PMC4648160 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyv013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Optimal behavioral performance results from a balance between goal-directed and habitual systems of behavioral control, which are modulated by ascending monoaminergic projections. While the role of the dopaminergic system in behavioral control has been recently addressed, the extent to which changes in global serotonin neurotransmission could influence these 2 systems is still poorly understood. METHODS We employed the dietary acute tryptophan depletion procedure to reduce serotonin neurotransmission in 18 healthy volunteers and 18 matched controls. We used a 3-stage instrumental learning paradigm that includes an initial instrumental learning stage, a subsequent outcome-devaluation test, and a slip-of-action stage, which directly tests the balance between hypothetical goal-directed and habitual systems. We also employed a separate response inhibition control test to assess the behavioral specificity of the results. RESULTS Acute tryptophan depletion produced a shift of behavioral performance towards habitual responding as indexed by performance on the slip-of-action test. Moreover, greater habitual responding in the acute tryptophan depletion group was predicted by a steeper decline in plasma tryptophan levels. In contrast, acute tryptophan depletion left intact the ability to use discriminative stimuli to guide instrumental choice as indexed by the instrumental learning stage and did not impair inhibitory response control. CONCLUSIONS The major implication of this study is that serotonin modulates the balance between goal-directed and stimulus-response habitual systems of behavioral control. Our findings thus imply that diminished serotonin neurotransmission shifts behavioral control towards habitual responding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia Worbe
- Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute (Drs Worbe, Fernandez-Egea, and Robbins), Department of Psychiatry (Drs Savulich and Fernandez-Egea), and Department of Psychology (Dr Robbins), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Dr de Wit).
| | - George Savulich
- Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute (Drs Worbe, Fernandez-Egea, and Robbins), Department of Psychiatry (Drs Savulich and Fernandez-Egea), and Department of Psychology (Dr Robbins), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Dr de Wit)
| | - Sanne de Wit
- Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute (Drs Worbe, Fernandez-Egea, and Robbins), Department of Psychiatry (Drs Savulich and Fernandez-Egea), and Department of Psychology (Dr Robbins), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Dr de Wit)
| | - Emilio Fernandez-Egea
- Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute (Drs Worbe, Fernandez-Egea, and Robbins), Department of Psychiatry (Drs Savulich and Fernandez-Egea), and Department of Psychology (Dr Robbins), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Dr de Wit)
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute (Drs Worbe, Fernandez-Egea, and Robbins), Department of Psychiatry (Drs Savulich and Fernandez-Egea), and Department of Psychology (Dr Robbins), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Dr de Wit)
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Thomas J, Météreau E, Déchaud H, Pugeat M, Dreher JC. Hormonal treatment increases the response of the reward system at the menopause transition: a counterbalanced randomized placebo-controlled fMRI study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 50:167-80. [PMID: 25222702 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Revised: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical research using rodent models demonstrated that estrogens play neuroprotective effects if they are administered during a critical period near the time of cessation of ovarian function. In women, a number of controversial epidemiological studies reported that a neuroprotective effect of estradiol may be obtained on cognition and mood-related disorders if hormone therapy (HT) begins early at the beginning of menopause. Yet, little is known about the modulatory effects of early HT administration on brain activation near menopause. Here, we investigated whether HT, initiated early during the menopause transition, increases the response of the reward system, a key brain circuit involved in motivation and hedonic behavior. We used fMRI and a counterbalanced, double-blind, randomized and crossover placebo-controlled design to investigate whether sequential 17β-estradiol plus oral progesterone modulate reward-related brain activity. Each woman was scanned twice while presented with images of slot machines, once after receiving HT and once under placebo. The fMRI results demonstrate that HT, relative to placebo, increased the response of the striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, two areas that have been shown to be respectively involved during reward anticipation and at the time of reward delivery. Our neuroimaging results bridge the gap between animal studies and human epidemiological studies of HT on cognition. These findings establish a neurobiological foundation for understanding the neurofunctional impact of early HT initiation on reward processing at the menopause transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Thomas
- Reward and Decision Making' Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Center, CNRS, UMR 5229, Lyon1 University, 67 Bd Pinel, 69675 Bron, France
| | - Elise Météreau
- Reward and Decision Making' Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Center, CNRS, UMR 5229, Lyon1 University, 67 Bd Pinel, 69675 Bron, France
| | - Henri Déchaud
- INSERM, Unit 863 IFR6, fédération d'endocrinologie, groupement hospitalier Est, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon 1 University, 69 Bd Pinel, 69675 Bron, France
| | - Michel Pugeat
- INSERM, Unit 863 IFR6, fédération d'endocrinologie, groupement hospitalier Est, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon 1 University, 69 Bd Pinel, 69675 Bron, France
| | - Jean-Claude Dreher
- Reward and Decision Making' Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Center, CNRS, UMR 5229, Lyon1 University, 67 Bd Pinel, 69675 Bron, France.
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Biases of attention in chronic smokers: Men and women are not alike. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2014; 14:742-55. [DOI: 10.3758/s13415-014-0287-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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38
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Bayer J, Schultz H, Gamer M, Sommer T. Menstrual-cycle dependent fluctuations in ovarian hormones affect emotional memory. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2014; 110:55-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2014.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2013] [Revised: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/25/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Borsook D, Erpelding N, Lebel A, Linnman C, Veggeberg R, Grant PE, Buettner C, Becerra L, Burstein R. Sex and the migraine brain. Neurobiol Dis 2014; 68:200-14. [PMID: 24662368 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2014.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2014] [Revised: 03/05/2014] [Accepted: 03/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain responds differently to environmental and internal signals that relate to the stage of development of neural systems. While genetic and epigenetic factors contribute to a premorbid state, hormonal fluctuations in women may alter the set point of migraine. The cyclic surges of gonadal hormones may directly alter neuronal, glial and astrocyte function throughout the brain. Estrogen is mainly excitatory and progesterone inhibitory on brain neuronal systems. These changes contribute to the allostatic load of the migraine condition that most notably starts at puberty in girls.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Borsook
- Boston Children's Hospital P.A.I.N. Group, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Massachusestts General Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA.
| | - N Erpelding
- Boston Children's Hospital P.A.I.N. Group, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA
| | - A Lebel
- Boston Children's Hospital P.A.I.N. Group, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Headache Clinic, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA
| | - C Linnman
- Boston Children's Hospital P.A.I.N. Group, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Massachusestts General Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA
| | - R Veggeberg
- Boston Children's Hospital P.A.I.N. Group, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA
| | - P E Grant
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center (FNNDSC), Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA
| | - C Buettner
- Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, USA; Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA
| | - L Becerra
- Boston Children's Hospital P.A.I.N. Group, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Massachusestts General Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA
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Abstract
AbstractStudies in both rodents and humans have made much progress in shedding light on how fluctuations in ovarian hormones can affect memory in women across the lifespan. Specifically, advances in neuroscience have identified multiple memory systems that are each mediated by different brain areas. Two memory systems used to navigate an environment are ‘place’ and ‘response’ memory. They are defined as either using an allocentric strategy: using a spatial or cognitive map of the surroundings, or an egocentric strategy: using habitual-turns/movements, respectively. Studies in neuroendocrinology have shown that estrogen levels can bias a female to use one memory system over another to solve a task, such that high estrogen levels are associated with using place memory and low levels with using response memory. Furthermore, recent advances in identifying and localizing estrogen receptors in the rodent brain are uncovering which brain regions are affected by estrogen and providing insight into how hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause might affect which memory system is facilitated or impaired in women at different life stages. These studies can help point the way to improving cognitive health in women.
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