scholarly journals Oral contraceptive pill use and menstrual cycle phase are associated with altered resting state functional connectivity

NeuroImage ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 90 ◽  
pp. 24-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Petersen ◽  
Lisa A. Kilpatrick ◽  
Azaadeh Goharzad ◽  
Larry Cahill
Keyword(s):  
Oral Contraceptive ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Oral Contraceptive Pill ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Menstrual Cycle Phase ◽  
Contraceptive Pill

scholarly journals Effect of sex, menstrual cycle phase, and monophasic oral contraceptive pill use on local and central arterial stiffness in young adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 315 (2) ◽  
pp. H357-H365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacey E. Priest ◽  
Ninette Shenouda ◽  
Maureen J. MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Oral Contraceptive ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Arterial Stiffness ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Oral Contraceptive Pill ◽  
Sex Hormone ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Menstrual Cycle Phase ◽  
Contraceptive Pill

Arterial stiffness is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. Previous sex-based investigations of local and central stiffness report inconsistent findings and have not controlled for menstrual cycle phase in women. There is also evidence that sex hormones influence the vasculature, but their impact on arterial stiffness across a natural menstrual (NAT) or oral contraceptive pill (OCP) cycle has been understudied. This study sought to 1) examine potential sex differences in local and central stiffness, 2) compare stiffness profiles between NAT and OCP cycles, and 3) investigate the relationship between duration of OCP use and arterial stiffness. Sex hormone concentrations, β-stiffness index (local stiffness), and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity [cfPWV (central stiffness)] were assessed in 53 healthy adults (22 ± 3 yr old, 20 men, 15 NAT women, and 18 OCP women). All participants were tested three times: men on the same day and time 1 wk apart, NAT women in menstrual, midfollicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle, and OCP women in placebo, early active and late active pill phases. β-Stiffness was higher in men than NAT and OCP women ( P < 0.001), whereas cfPWV was similar between groups ( P = 0.09). β-Stiffness and cfPWV did not differ across or between NAT and OCP cycles ( P > 0.05 for both) and were not associated with duration of OCP use (β-stiffness: r = 0.003, P = 0.99; cfPWV: r = −0.26, P = 0.30). The apparent sex differences in local, but not central, stiffness highlight the importance of assessing both indexes in comparisons between men and women. Furthermore, fluctuating sex hormone levels do not appear to influence β-stiffness or cfPWV. Therefore, these stiffness indexes may need to be assessed during only one cycle phase in women in future investigations. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We observed higher local, but not central, arterial stiffness in men than women. We also demonstrated that there are no differences in arterial stiffness between naturally cycling women and women who use monophasic oral contraceptive pills, and that the duration of oral contraceptive pill use does not influence arterial stiffness. Listen to this article’s corresponding podcast at https://ajpheart.podbean.com/e/behind-the-bench-episode-2/ .

scholarly journals T141. EFFECTS OF MENSTRUAL CYCLE ON RESTING STATE FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA: A FUNCTIONAL MRI STUDY

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S284-S285
Author(s):  
Handan Noyan ◽  
Andaç Hamamcı ◽  
Zeynep Fırat ◽  
Ayşegül Sarsılmaz Oygen ◽  
Alp Üçok
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Ovarian Hormones ◽  
Follicular Phase ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Early Follicular Phase ◽  
The Mean

Abstract Background The menstrual cycle is a favorable model for examining the influence of ovarian hormones on cognition, emotion and brain functions. Ovarian hormones have substantial effects on task-related brain activity, but their impacts on functional connectivity at rest have been investigated by a few studies conducted with healthy individuals and these pre-existing findings are inconsistent. As for schizophrenia, different influences of ovarian hormones were reported. For instance, the estrogen hypothesis of schizophrenia has suggested that estrogen plays a neuroprotective role in the pathophysiology of this disorder. The present study investigates resting state functional connectivity (RS-FC) alterations related to menstrual cycle phase and/or hormone levels in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls and aims to contribute to the understanding of the effects of ovarian hormones on the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and brain functions. Methods The study was conducted with 13 women with schizophrenia (the mean of age: 32 ± 7.67) and 13 healthy women (the mean of age: 30.08 ± 7.27). Resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scanning, as well as hormonal and clinical assessments, were applied to each participant twice, during two menstrual cycle phases: early follicular (Days 2–6; low estrogen/progesterone) and mid-luteal (Days 20–22; high estrogen/progesterone). The serum hormone levels of estradiol, progesterone, prolactin (only in the patients), follicle-stimulating and luteinizing were assessed. The clinical assessment interviews included the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scales, the Clinical Global Impression (only for the patients), the Global Assessment of Functioning and the Calgary Depression Rating Scale for Schizophrenia (for both groups). Results Our findings revealed that no cycle phase-related alterations existed in RS-FC in both groups. However, specific correlations between each hormone and RS-FC were found in both cycle phases for two groups. In the patients, estrogen was positively correlated with the auditory network (AN) connectivity in the left amygdala at the early follicular phase. In the controls, the positive correlations to progesterone were found in the precuneus for the connectivity of the posterior default mode network (DMN) and the left-frontoparietal network (FPN) during the early follicular phase. Also, progesterone was negatively correlated with the executive control network (ECN) connectivity in the right superior frontal gyrus at the mid-luteal phase in the controls. Furthermore, the patients had lower progesterone levels during the mid-luteal phase compared to the controls (p&lt;0.05). The severity of the psychotic symptoms of the patients didn’t change between the cycle phases. Discussion To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the influence of the menstrual cycle on the brain’s RS-FC in schizophrenia. Our results indicated that the effects of the menstrual cycle on RS-FC were more prominent in the controls rather than the patients with schizophrenia; and that the findings for the patient group may be associated with the additional mechanisms responsible from schizophrenia. This might imply that differentiating the menstrual cycle effects is difficult in a complex disorder such as schizophrenia. The results obtained from the controls are consistent with the previous findings indicating that the menstrual cycle effects might be associated with the connectivity of the DMN and cognition-related networks. Moreover, our results suggested that estrogen might have a modulating effect on the intrinsic functional connectivity changes in the patients, while progesterone, might mediate to that in the controls.

scholarly journals Resting state alpha frequency is associated with menstrual cycle phase, estradiol and use of oral contraceptives

2014 ◽  
Vol 1577 ◽  
pp. 36-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina P. Brötzner ◽  
Wolfgang Klimesch ◽  
Michael Doppelmayr ◽  
Andrea Zauner ◽  
Hubert H. Kerschbaum
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Oral Contraceptives ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Menstrual Cycle Phase ◽  
Alpha Frequency

The Influence of a Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill and Menstrual Cycle Phase on Digital Microvascular Haemodynamics

1981 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. Tooke ◽  
H. Tindall ◽  
G. P. McNicol
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Oral Contraceptive ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Skin Temperature ◽  
Capillary Pressure ◽  
Oral Contraceptive Pill ◽  
Contraceptive Pill ◽  
Combined Oral Contraceptive ◽  
Control Subjects ◽  
Digital Blood Flow

1. Nailfold capillary pressure, digital blood flow and skin temperature have been measured on days 7, 14, 21 and 28 of the menstrual cycle in 10 women on a combined oral contraceptive pill and 10 control subjects with normal menstrual cycles. 2. Capillary pressure and digital blood flow were statistically significantly higher in the group taking an oral contraceptive pill compared with control subjects. 3. Capillary pressure values for women failed to show the same positive correlation with skin temperature previously described in normal men. 4. The results are interpreted as evidence for a powerful modulating influence of sex steroids on digital microvascular haemodynamics.

Fundamental Frequency Variations Across the Menstrual Cycle and the Use of an Oral Contraceptive Pill

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 1033-1043
Author(s):  
Filipa M. B. Lã ◽  
Nuria Polo
Keyword(s):  
Oral Contraceptive ◽  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Steroid Hormones ◽  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Oral Contraceptive Pill ◽  
Sex Steroid Hormones ◽  
Sex Steroid ◽  
Contraceptive Pill ◽  
The Voice

Purpose Concentrations of sex steroid hormones—estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone—have been associated with premenstrual and menstrual vocal symptoms. However, the extent to which these symptoms may be reflected on acoustical features of the voice is still debated. This study investigates variations in fundamental frequency ( f o ) and related parameters in connected speech across phases of the menstrual cycle and during the use of a combined oral contraceptive pill (OCP). Method Electrolaryngographic recordings were made, and blood samples were collected at three different phases of the menstrual cycle—menstrual, follicular, and luteal—for placebo and OCP use. These two conditions were blindly and randomly allocated in the study. Speaking f o (SFF), SFF standard deviation, SFF rate of change, SFF slope, maximum and minimum f o , and f o range were extracted for nine healthy females while reading a phrase from the Rainbow Passage. Concentrations of sex hormones were analyzed in serum. Nonparametric statistical tests were carried out to assess differences between phases and conditions. Results SFF, its standard deviation, and maximum f o were significantly different between phases of the menstrual cycle for placebo use only. Menstrual phase showed the lowest values. Maximum and minimum f o were significantly different between placebo and OCP use for menstrual and follicular phases, respectively. Conclusions Fluctuations in sex steroid hormones across the menstrual cycle alter f o in speech more than a particular hormonal concentration. OCP use seems to have a stabilizing effect on the voice relative to f o and related parameters in speech.

A Case-Study on the Effects of the Menstrual Cycle and the Use of a Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill on the Performance of a Western Classical Singer: An Objective and Subjective Overview

2007 ◽  
Vol 11 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 85-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filipa Lã ◽  
Jane W. Davidson ◽  
William Ledger ◽  
David Howard ◽  
Georgina Jones
Keyword(s):  
Oral Contraceptive ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Oral Contraceptive Pill ◽  
Vocal Folds ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Sexual Hormones ◽  
Entire Study ◽  
Contraceptive Pill ◽  
Combined Oral Contraceptive

This case study explores the objective and psychologically perceived effects of the menstrual cycle and the use of a combined oral contraceptive pill on the singing performance of a western classical female singer. Objective measures of vocal parameters and hormonal concentrations were assessed during her natural menstrual cycle and during the use of an oral contraceptive pill. A diary was kept throughout the six months duration of the study and one lengthy semi-structured interview was also carried out with the singer, focussing on perceptions of her singing quality over the entire study. Aural analyses of the singing recordings were also undertaken by two independently qualified judges to see whether or not vocal changes were perceptible to listeners. The results suggest that: (i) hormonal variations during the natural menstrual cycle affected physiological and psychological aspects of the singer's performance; (ii) the pattern of vibration of the vocal folds seems to be more regular, and vocal control seems to be improved during oral contraceptive pill use; (iii) the singer reported better voice control during oral contraceptive pill use; (iv) listeners perceive intonation problems and wider vibrato during the natural menstrual cycle. This study suggests that further research on the effects of female sexual hormones on the singer's voice is necessary, and that female singers should be educated regarding these matters, in order to protect their voices and careers.

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