Light Exposure, Melatonin Secretion, and Menstrual Cycle Parameters: An Integrative Review

2007 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Lee Barron
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Ovarian Function ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Polycystic Ovary ◽  
Menstrual Phase ◽  
Melatonin Secretion ◽  
Menstrual Cycles ◽  
Current State ◽  
Dark Exposure

Dysfunction in menstrual physiology has pronounced effects on quality of life, involving mood changes, body image, infertility, and pregnancy complications. Light exposure may affect menstrual cycles and symptoms through the influence of melatonin secretion. The purpose of this systematic review is to determine the current state of knowledge about the effects of light and melatonin secretion on menstrual phase and cycle alterations. A brief overview of the influence of melatonin on human physiology is included. There is evidence of a relationship between light exposure and melatonin secretion and irregular menstrual cycles, menstrual cycle symptoms, and disordered ovarian function. In women with a psychopathology such as bipolar disorder or an endocrinopathy such as polycystic ovary syndrome, there seems to be greater vulnerability to the influence of light—dark exposure. Research on the complex role of light—dark exposure in menstrual physiology has implications for treatment of menstrual-associated disorders.

scholarly journals Menstrual phase-dependent differences in neurobehavioral performance: the role of temperature and the progesterone/estradiol ratio

SLEEP ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leilah K Grant ◽  
Joshua J Gooley ◽  
Melissa A St Hilaire ◽  
Shantha M W Rajaratnam ◽  
George C Brainard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Sex Hormones ◽  
Luteal Phase ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Sleep Loss ◽  
Follicular Phase ◽  
Menstrual Phase ◽  
Nighttime Light

Abstract Study objectives Women in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle exhibit better cognitive performance overnight than women in the follicular phase, although the mechanism is unknown. Given the link between core body temperature (CBT) and performance, one potential mechanism is the thermoregulatory role of progesterone (P4), estradiol (E2), and their ratio (P4/E2), which change across the menstrual cycle. We examined the role of P4/E2 in modulating performance during extended wake in premenopausal women. Additionally, we compared the acute effects of nighttime light exposure on performance, CBT, and hormones between the menstrual phases. Methods Participants were studied during a 50 h constant routine and a 6.5 h monochromatic nighttime light exposure. Participants were 16 healthy, naturally cycling women (eight follicular; eight luteal). Outcome measures included reaction time, attentional failures, self-reported sleepiness, CBT, melatonin, P4, and E2. Results As compared to women in the luteal phase, women in the follicular phase exhibited worse performance overnight. CBT was significantly associated with performance, P4, and P4/E2 but not with other sex hormones. Sex hormones were not directly related to performance. Light exposure that suppressed melatonin improved performance in the follicular phase (n = 4 per group) to levels observed during the luteal phase and increased CBT but without concomitant changes in P4/E2. Conclusions Our results underscore the importance of considering menstrual phase when assessing cognitive performance during sleep loss in women and indicate that these changes are driven predominantly by CBT. Furthermore, this study shows that vulnerability to sleep loss during the follicular phase may be resolved by exposure to light.

scholarly journals OR31-05 Emergence of Ovarian Hyperandrogenism and Luteal Insufficiency Following ESR1 Knockdown in the Mediobasal Hypothalamus of Adult Female Rhesus Monkeys

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon E Levine ◽  
Emily P Greinwald ◽  
Jesi A Felton ◽  
Matthew T Flowers ◽  
Molly M Willging ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adult Female ◽  
Ovarian Function ◽  
Polycystic Ovary ◽  
Mediobasal Hypothalamus ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Gadolinium Contrast ◽  
Menstrual Cycles ◽  
Female Rhesus ◽  
Luteal Insufficiency ◽  
Ovarian Hyperandrogenism

Abstract Diminished estradiol (E2) negative feedback action by neuronal ESR1 in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) is hypothesized to cause gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) hypersecretion, and thus LH excess, contributing to ovarian hyperandrogenism in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In primates, including humans, however, the mediating estrogen receptor is unknown. Thus, to test the hypothesis that diminished E2 action on ARC ESR1 contributes to female primate ovarian hyperandrogenism, eleven, ovary intact, adult female rhesus macaques, pair housed with female peers, received five 12µl MRI-guided MBH infusions into the rostral-to-caudal extent of both right and left ARC. Each infusion comprised gadolinium contrast agent and ~3-4 x 1010 adeno-associated virus 8 (AAV8) particles containing either a shRNA specific for ESR1 (n=6, ERaKD) or scrambled shRNA (n=5, control). Mid-surgery MRI scans identified targeting accuracy. 2-2.5 years following AAV8 infusion, EIA-determined P4 values were obtained from twice weekly serum samples; samples obtained during the follicular phase of menstrual cycles or anovulatory periods were submitted to liquid chromatography, tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS) for additional steroid hormones. LCMS-determined values were also obtained 0 hours (h) and 24 h following an IM injection of 200IU hCG. Both ERaKD (28.5 ± 1.3 days, mean ± SEM) and control (34.0 ± 3.3 days) female groups exhibited comparably regular menstrual cycles. ERaKD exhibited higher circulating levels of LH (2.8 ± 0.2 ng/ml, p=0.03), androstenedione (A4, 0.43 ± 0.03 ng/ml, p=0.03) and testosterone (T, 0.23 ± 0.03 ng/ml, p=0.09), and LH/FSH ratio (1.7 ± 0.2, p=0.05) compared to controls (LH, 2.1 ± 0.4; A4, 0.30 ± 0.05; T, 0.18 ± 0.01 ng/ml; LH/FSH 1.3 ± 0.2). Following an ovarian androgen-stimulating hCG injection, ERaKD 24-h peak levels for T (0.28 ± 0.01 ng/ml) were higher (p=0.03) compared to controls (0.21 ± 0.01 ng/ml). In addition, luteal insufficiency emerged in ERaKD females, with mean (2.4 ± 0.3 ng/ml), peak (3.6 ± 0.4 ng/ml) and area-under-the-curve (AUC, 23.2 ± 4.2 ng/ml/days) P4 values diminished compared to controls (mean, 3.6 ± 0.1, p=0.01; peak 5.7 ± 0.1 ng/ml, p=0.01; AUC, 43.7 ± 6.7 ng/ml/days, p=0.03). Taken together, these results suggest that knockdown of ARC ESR1 disrupts Gn stimulation of ovarian function, contributing to female monkey ovarian hyperandrogenism and menstrual cycle impairment emulating PCOS in women.

Food craving, mood and the menstrual cycle

1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 855-860 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Bancroft ◽  
Ann Cook ◽  
Lynn Williamson
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Food Craving ◽  
Menstrual Phase ◽  
Mood Change ◽  
Menstrual Cycles ◽  
Sweet Foods ◽  
Retrospective Questionnaire

SynopsisSeventy-six women, with a mean age of 35–7 years, who reported premenstrual craving for sweet foods in a retrospective questionnaire, were assessed prospectively with a pre- and postmenstrual eating questionnaire and daily ratings of craving, mood, irritability and breast tenderness over two menstrual cycles.In 72 % of these women a perimenstrual pattern of food craving was confirmed. In 13 % this craving was confined to the menstrual phase. There was no consistent association between food craving and mood change, either in timing or severity. Women with more severe mood change did not report more severe craving. There was also no association between food craving and cyclical breast tenderness. Perimenstrual food craving, therefore, appears to be a cyclical phenomenon in its own right, of uncertain aetiology and worthy of further study.

scholarly journals Temporal expression and signalling of prostacyclin receptor in the human endometrium across the menstrual cycle

Reproduction ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Battersby ◽  
H O D Critchley ◽  
A J de Brum-Fernandes ◽  
H N Jabbour
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Human Endometrium ◽  
Menstrual Phase ◽  
Temporal Expression ◽  
Prostacyclin Receptor ◽  
Camp Generation ◽  
Ip Receptor ◽  
And Function ◽  
Cellular Compartments

Prostacyclin (PGI2) synthesis and function in the human uterus has been implicated in the regulation of the process of normal and dysfunctional menstruation. PGI2synthesis is elevated during normal menstruation and is also associated with blood loss in women who suffer from heavy menses. This study was designed to outline further the role of PGI2in menstruation by investigating the temporal pattern and site of expression of prostaglandin I synthase (PGIS) and the prostacyclin receptor (IP receptor) in the non-pregnant human endometrium across the menstrual cycle. Quantitative RT-PCR demonstrated increased expression of PGIS and IP receptor during the menstrual phase of the cycle compared with all other phases (P< 0.05). Furthermore, PGIS and IP receptor were localised to the glandular epithelium, stromal and endothelial cells in the basal and functional layers of the endometrium. Functionality of the IP receptor in the human endometrium was assessed by measuring cAMP generation following treatment with 100 nmol l−1of the PGI2analogue, iloprost. cAMP generation was significantly higher in endometrial tissue collected during the proliferative compared with the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle (P< 0.05).In conclusion, this study has confirmed increased expression and signalling of PGIS and IP receptor during the menstrual phase and outlines a potential autocrine/paracrine role for PGI2on several cellular compartments in the endometrium including the endothelium. This may underscore a pivotal role for PGI2receptor signalling in normal and dysfunctional menstruation.

scholarly journals PI3K/PTEN/Akt and TSC/mTOR signaling pathways, ovarian dysfunction, and infertility: an update

2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. R103-R118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annu Makker ◽  
Madhu Mati Goel ◽  
Abbas Ali Mahdi
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Ovarian Function ◽  
Follicular Development ◽  
Mtor Signaling ◽  
Ovarian Dysfunction ◽  
Primordial Follicles ◽  
Current State ◽  
Cell Proliferation And Differentiation ◽  
Proliferation And Differentiation

Abnormalities in ovarian function, including defective oogenesis and folliculogenesis, represent a key female reproductive deficiency. Accumulating evidence in the literature has shown that the PI3K/PTEN/Akt and TSC/mTOR signaling pathways are critical regulators of ovarian function including quiescence, activation, and survival of primordial follicles, granulosa cell proliferation and differentiation, and meiotic maturation of oocytes. Dysregulation of these signaling pathways may contribute to infertility caused by impaired follicular development, intrafollicular oocyte development, and ovulation. This article reviews the current state of knowledge of the functional role of the PI3K/PTEN/Akt and TSC/mTOR pathways during mammalian oogenesis and folliculogenesis and their association with female infertility.

Changes in Scores on the Mental Rotations Test during the Menstrual Cycle

1997 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 955-961 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Suzanne Moody
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
College Women ◽  
Sex Difference ◽  
Educational Psychology ◽  
Luteal Phase ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Menstrual Phase ◽  
Paired Sample ◽  
Menstrual Cycles ◽  
Mental Rotations

The purpose of the study was to examine changes in performance on Vandenberg's Mental Rotations Test during the menstrual cycles of college women. Participants were 12 male and 34 female students recruited from undergraduate educational psychology and nursing classes at a large southeastern university. Each woman was tested once during the menstrual phase and once during the luteal phase of her menstrual cycle. Phases in which the testings occurred were counterbalanced. Men were also tested twice. For all participants, the two testing sessions were held exactly 14 days apart. Women who were contraceptive pill users did not perform significantly differently during either phase from women who were nonusers, and there was no interaction for pill use by phase. Therefore, users and nonusers were combined for a paired-sample t test which indicated that women scored significantly higher during the menstrual phase (Days 2–7) than during the luteal phase (Days 16–22 for 31 women and Days 24–26 for three women with longer cycles). The 12 men scored significantly higher than the 34 women during the initial testing; but not significantly higher than the 17 women who were in the menstrual phase during the first testing. Therefore, that the effect of the phase of menstrual cycle influences the sex difference in performance on the Mental Rotations Test was supported.

scholarly journals Sonoelastographic assessment of the normal uterus and ovaries using the Shear Wave Elastography according to different menstrual phases

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 29-32
Author(s):  
Özgür Turan ◽  
Ersen Ertekin ◽  
Oghuz Abdullayev ◽  
Behram Kuh
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Shear Wave ◽  
Systemic Disease ◽  
Shear Wave Elastography ◽  
Cycle Period ◽  
Menstrual Phase ◽  
Menstrual Cycles ◽  
Pelvic Ultrasonography ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Relationship Of

Objective: In most of the gynecological studies conducted using the Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) method in the literature, the menstrual cycle period was not taken into account. Current study, we aimed to describe the sonoelastographic features of normal myometrium and ovaries in healthy women and to define their variability during the different phases of the menstrual cycle using the SWE method. Material and methods: All cases were selected from individuals between the ages of 24-31, with regular menstrual cycles and no systemic disease. Each case was called in, 1-5th, 12-16th, 21-24th day of their menstrual cycles and was evaluated by B-mode imaging and SWE in pelvic ultrasonography. The relationship of menstrual phases with uterine and ovarian elasticity was investigated by comparing all measurements made in different menstrual phases. Results: No statistically significant difference was observed between the volume of right and left ovaries in terms (p> 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of elastography measurements obtained from the uterus, right and left ovaries for each menstrual phase according to Bonferroni Correction (p> 0.0163). Conclusion: Although there was a slight decrease in myometrial SWE measurements in the follicular phase, there was no significant difference regarding the SWE measurements of uterus and ovaries in early follicular, peri-ovulatory, and luteal menstrual stages. Further studies with a large number of participants are needed to suggest whether gynecological studies planned to be carried out with the shear wave elastography method should be planned in a specific menstrual phase.

scholarly journals Urinary 8-Hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) Concentrations and Menstrual Cycle Characteristics in Female University Students

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 2616
Author(s):  
Shoko Konishi ◽  
Jun Yoshinaga ◽  
Yukiko Nishihama ◽  
Yu Onoda ◽  
Youichi Chisaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
University Students ◽  
Polycystic Ovary ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Menstrual Pain ◽  
Oxidative Stress Biomarkers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Menstrual Cycles ◽  
The Mean

Higher concentrations of oxidative stress biomarkers are found in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis, conditions linked to irregular menstrual cycles and menstrual pain. The aim of the present study was to test whether women with higher oxidative stress are more likely to show irregular menstrual cycles and severe menstrual pain compared with women with lower oxidative stress. A cross-sectional study was conducted targeting female university students with a mean (SD) age of 20.5 (1.8) years (n = 188). Participants completed a questionnaire on reproductive characteristics and anthropometry and kept a menstrual cycle diary for 5 consecutive months. Urinary 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), cotinine, and creatinine concentrations were measured once during the study period. The mean (SD) value of the urinary 8-OHdG concentration was 4.7 (2.0) μg/g of creatinine. A total of 1021 menstrual cycles were recorded. The participants were categorized as either having regular (68%) or irregular (18%) cycles or oligomenorrhea (13%) or polymenorrhea (1%). The urinary 8-OHdG concentration did not significantly differ across menstrual cycle regularity or pain categories. Even after adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), and urinary cotinine concentrations, having irregular cycles or more severe menstrual pain was not associated with urinary 8-OHdG concentration.

scholarly journals Circulating leptin concentrations and ovarian function in polycystic ovary syndrome

2001 ◽  
pp. 289-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
IR Pirwany ◽  
R Fleming ◽  
N Sattar ◽  
IA Greer ◽  
AM Wallace
Keyword(s):  
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ◽  
Ovarian Function ◽  
Polycystic Ovary ◽  
Ovarian Dysfunction ◽  
Ovary Syndrome ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Serum Leptin ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Relationship

OBJECTIVE: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by ovarian dysfunction. Although the role of leptin in the control of reproduction is unclear, it may be involved in the control of ovulation. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the relationship between circulating leptin concentrations, and anthropometric, metabolic and endocrine variables as well as to examine a possible role of leptin in ovarian dysfunction associated with PCOS. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. METHODS: Seventy-one subjects with PCOS and 23 body mass index (BMI)-matched control subjects were recruited from infertility clinics. The association between serum leptin concentrations and the above variables was measured outwith the luteal phase. A subgroup of 24 PCOS subjects underwent more frequent blood sampling to monitor follicular growth and ovulation. The association between variables was measured by univariate, multivariate and partial correlation analyses. RESULTS: Serum leptin concentrations were not different in subjects with PCOS and controls, and were strongly associated with BMI in both groups. Twelve patients ovulated during the study period. There was no significant difference in serum leptin concentrations between ovulatory and anovulatory subjects. The relationship between BMI and leptin was similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that circulating leptin concentrations relate principally to total body fat in subjects with PCOS and controls, and that this is not associated with the facility for follicular development and ovulation in these patients.

scholarly journals Sex and Menstrual Phase Influences on Sleep and Memory

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandra Alonso ◽  
Lisa Genzel ◽  
Angela Gomez
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Memory Consolidation ◽  
Cognitive Tasks ◽  
Circadian Regulation ◽  
Complex Relationship ◽  
Menstrual Phase ◽  
Sexual Hormones ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
And Performance

Abstract Purposes of Review This review highlights the effect of sex differences in sleep mediated memory consolidation and cognitive performance. In addition, the role of menstrual cycle and the fluctuating level of sexual hormones (mainly oestrogen and progesterone) are stressed. Recent Findings The literature indicates that sex hormones mediate and orchestrate the differences observed in performance of females in comparison with males in a variety of tasks and can also be related to how sleep benefits cognition. Although the exact mechanism of such influence is not clear, it most likely involves differential activation of brain areas, sensitivity to neuromodulators (mainly oestrogen), circadian regulation of sleep and temperature, as well as modification of strategies to solve tasks across the menstrual cycle. Summary With the evidence presented here, we hope to encourage researchers to develop appropriate paradigms to study the complex relationship between menstrual cycle, sleep (its regulation, architecture and electrophysiological hallmarks) and performance in memory and other cognitive tasks.

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