Hormone-based models for comparing menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptive effects on human resting-state functional connectivity

Elsevier

Available online 17 September 2022, 101036

Frontiers in NeuroendocrinologyHighlights•

Oral contraceptives reduce endogenous steroid hormones throughout the body.

OC use may affect brain structure and function.

Models of hypogonadal, hypergonadal, and mixed states are evaluated.

Abstract

Oral contraceptives (OCs) are widely used yet understudied given their potential for public health consequences. Emerging investigations scaling from single-subject, dense-sampling neuroimaging studies to population-level metrics have linked OCs to altered brain structure and function.. Modeling the hypogonadal, hypergonadal, or mixed state effects of OCs in terms of their impact on hormone action in the brain is a valuable approach to synthesizing results across neuroimaging studies and comparing OC effects to companion findings from research on menstrual cycle phase effects on brain anatomy and function. Resting-state functional connectivity studies provide a powerful tool to evaluate the role of OCs on the intrinsic network connectivity that underlies multiple behavioral domains. The preponderance (but not consensus) of the current literature indicates that (1) as the menstrual cycle proceeds from a low to high progesterone state, prefrontal connectivity increases and parietal connectivity decreases; (2) OCs tend to mimic this connectivity pattern; therefore (3) OCs may produce a hyperprogestogenic state in the brain, in spite of overall reductions in endogenous steroid hormone levels. Alternative models are also considered.

Keywords

Neuroendocrinology

Menstrual cycle

Estradiol

Progesterone

Resting state

Functional connectivity

Neuroimaging

Oral contraceptives

Hormonal contraceptives

Contraception

fMRI

© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.

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