Display options
Cite
Pletzer BA, Kerschbaum HH. 50 years of hormonal contraception-time to find out, what it does to our brain. Front Neurosci. 2014;8:256doi: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00256.
Pletzer, B. A., & Kerschbaum, H. H. (2014). 50 years of hormonal contraception-time to find out, what it does to our brain. Frontiers in neuroscience, 8256. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2014.00256
Pletzer, Belinda A, and Kerschbaum, Hubert H. "50 years of hormonal contraception-time to find out, what it does to our brain." Frontiers in neuroscience vol. 8 (2014): 256. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2014.00256
Pletzer BA, Kerschbaum HH. 50 years of hormonal contraception-time to find out, what it does to our brain. Front Neurosci. 2014 Aug 21;8:256. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00256. eCollection 2014. PMID: 25191220; PMCID: PMC4139599.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Front Neurosci. 2014 Aug 21;8:256. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00256. eCollection 2014.

50 years of hormonal contraception-time to find out, what it does to our brain.

Frontiers in neuroscience

Belinda A Pletzer, Hubert H Kerschbaum

Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Paris-Lodron-University Salzburg Salzburg, Austria ; Center of Neurocognitive Research, Paris-Lodron University Salzburg Salzburg, Austria.
  2. Center of Neurocognitive Research, Paris-Lodron University Salzburg Salzburg, Austria ; Department of Cell Biology, Paris-Lodron-University Salzburg Salzburg, Austria.

PMID: 25191220 PMCID: PMC4139599 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00256

Abstract

Hormonal contraceptives are on the market for more than 50 years and used by 100 million women worldwide. However, while endogenous steroids have been convincingly associated with change in brain structure, function and cognitive performance, the effects of synthetic steroids contained in hormonal contraceptives on brain and cognition have barely been investigated. In this article we summarize the sparse findings, describing brain structural, functional and behavioral findings from the literature and suggest that synthetic steroids may contribute to masculinizing as well as feminizing effects on brain and behavior. We try to identify methodological challenges, explain, how results on endogenous steroids may transfer into research on hormonal contraceptives and point out factors that need to be controlled in the study of hormonal contraceptive dependent effects. We conclude that there is a strong need for more systematic studies, especially on brain structural, functional and cognitive changes due to hormonal contraceptive use. The hormonal contraceptive pill is the major tool for population control. Hence, such behavioral changes could cause a shift in society dynamics and should not stay unattended.

Keywords: androgenicity; ethinyl estradiol; hormonal contraceptives; progestins; synthetic steroids

References

  1. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2011 Sep;96(2):378-84 - PubMed
  2. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2008 Apr;16(2):156-64 - PubMed
  3. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2005 Nov;6(11):877-88 - PubMed
  4. J Neurosci. 2011 Apr 6;31(14):5286-93 - PubMed
  5. Int J Psychophysiol. 1984 Feb;1(2):209-14 - PubMed
  6. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1987 Jan;156(1):199-203 - PubMed
  7. Front Neuroendocrinol. 2002 Jan;23(1):41-100 - PubMed
  8. Horm Behav. 2008 Aug;54(2):286-93 - PubMed
  9. Brain Res. 2013 Sep 12;1530:22-31 - PubMed
  10. Twin Res Hum Genet. 2012 Jun;15(3):401-13 - PubMed
  11. Hum Reprod Update. 2006 Mar-Apr;12(2):169-78 - PubMed
  12. PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e54447 - PubMed
  13. Toxicon. 2001 Sep;39(9):1277-82 - PubMed
  14. Brain Res. 2014 Jan 16;1543:128-42 - PubMed
  15. N Engl J Med. 2003 Oct 9;349(15):1443-50 - PubMed
  16. Recent Prog Horm Res. 2002;57:357-84 - PubMed
  17. Neuroimage. 2001 Sep;14(3):685-700 - PubMed
  18. Front Neuroendocrinol. 2008 May;29(2):219-37 - PubMed
  19. Behav Brain Res. 1999 Sep;103(2):185-94 - PubMed
  20. Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2007 Jul;6(4):371-4 - PubMed
  21. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Dec;34 Suppl 1:S91-S103 - PubMed
  22. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Sep;34(8):1121-32 - PubMed
  23. Behav Pharmacol. 2010 Sep;21(5-6):451-64 - PubMed
  24. J Steroid Biochem. 1987 May;26(5):609-17 - PubMed
  25. Front Neurosci. 2014 Apr 07;8:65 - PubMed
  26. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Sep;52(3):516-29 - PubMed
  27. Neuroreport. 2013 Dec 4;24(17):951-5 - PubMed
  28. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2007 Apr;17(2):251-7 - PubMed
  29. J Affect Disord. 2002 Aug;70(3):229-40 - PubMed
  30. Learn Mem. 2009 Mar 24;16(4):248-66 - PubMed
  31. Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care. 2006 Sep;11(3):153-61 - PubMed
  32. J Neurosci. 1998 Apr 1;18(7):2550-9 - PubMed
  33. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2005 Jun;6(6):435-48 - PubMed
  34. Brain Res. 2010 Aug 12;1348:55-62 - PubMed
  35. Hum Reprod. 2007 Jan;22(1):83-91 - PubMed
  36. Trends Ecol Evol. 2010 Mar;25(3):171-9 - PubMed
  37. Nat Neurosci. 2003 Mar;6(3):309-15 - PubMed
  38. Neuroimage. 2014 Apr 15;90:24-32 - PubMed
  39. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2014 Feb;9(2):191-200 - PubMed
  40. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1976 Jul;163(1):59-60 - PubMed
  41. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2004 Jan;29(1):21-34 - PubMed
  42. Biol Psychol. 2013 Feb;92(2):257-66 - PubMed
  43. Neurosci Res. 2010 Apr;66(4):366-71 - PubMed
  44. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2009;121(23-24):746-9 - PubMed
  45. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2005 Nov;183(1):65-71 - PubMed
  46. Horm Behav. 2014 Jul;66(2):257-66 - PubMed
  47. Med Hypotheses. 2004;63(2):268-73 - PubMed
  48. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2007 Aug-Sep;106(1-5):143-50 - PubMed
  49. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1993;18(7):521-31 - PubMed
  50. J Adolesc Health. 2009 Jan;44(1):55-63 - PubMed
  51. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Dec;34 Suppl 1:S130-42 - PubMed
  52. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 1999 Mar;83(1):115-9 - PubMed
  53. Mol Endocrinol. 1998 Sep;12(9):1441-51 - PubMed
  54. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2007 Apr;32(3):246-55 - PubMed

Publication Types