More than 150 million women worldwide use oral contraceptives (OCs), with combined OCs (COCs) being the most common type.
While COCs are known for their physical effects, a new Canadian study delves into their potential impact on the brain and emotion regulation.
The research aims to shed light on the current and long-term effects of COC use, emphasizing the importance of understanding how synthetic hormones may affect women’s brain anatomy and emotional well-being.
Understanding COC Effects on the Brain
Sex hormones are known to influence the brain’s fear processing network. The study investigates the role of both naturally produced and synthetic sex hormones in fear-related brain regions.
Specifically, the researchers focused on the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, a brain region associated with emotion regulation and reducing fear signals in safe situations.
Thinner Prefrontal Cortex in COC Users
The study found that women currently using COCs had a thinner ventromedial prefrontal cortex compared to men.
This region of the brain is responsible for regulating emotions, particularly in contexts where fear should be decreased in safe environments.
The thinning of this cortex could indicate a potential mechanism through which COCs may impact emotion regulation in women.
Emotion Regulation and Contraceptives
While women are often informed about the physical effects of COCs, such as the suppression of the menstrual cycle and ovulation, the study highlights the need to consider their effects on brain development.
This is especially important given the widespread use of COCs and the potential impact on women’s brain anatomy and emotional regulation.
Studying COC Effects
To investigate the effects of COCs, the researchers examined different groups of participants, including women currently using COCs, past COC users, women who never used hormonal contraception, and men.
This allowed them to assess whether COC use was associated with current or long-term changes in brain structure and to detect any sex differences in susceptibility to anxiety and stress-related disorders.
Reversible Effects
While the study found reduced cortical thickness in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in current COC users, it did not observe the same effect in past COC users.
This suggests that the impacts of COC use on the brain may be reversible once intake is discontinued. However, further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore factors like age of onset and duration of use.
The researchers emphasize that their goal is not to discourage COC use but to raise awareness about potential brain-related effects.
They hope to increase scientific interest in women’s health and emphasize the importance of considering brain development, particularly in adolescent girls who often start using COCs during a sensitive period of brain development.
The research findings can be found in Frontiers in Endocrinology.
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