Have you ever heard the phrase “she must be on her period” used to refer to an emotional woman, or known someone who experiences mood swings or irritability consistent with premenstrual syndrome (PMS)? A recent study by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences found that there is a regular, underlying shift in female physiology that could be responsible for these misunderstood alterations in behavior and emotion. It is already well understood that the adult brains don’t remain rigid in structure, and that they can experience neuroplasticity. However, scientists at the Max Planck Institute have discovered that the brain is not only able to adapt to changing conditions in long term processes, but that it can also do this regularly on a monthly basis in response to fluctuations in hormone levels.
The researchers observed that in women, the structures of the Hippocampus (involved in memory, mood, and emotion) vary in relation to the rise and fall of estrogen levels throughout their cycle. Claudia Barth, the first author of the corresponding paper published in Nature Scientific Reports claims that “... in parallel to the rising estrogen levels leading up to ovulation, the hippocampus also increases in volume- the volume of the grey matter as well as that of the white matter” (Planck, 2016). Exactly how these fluctuations of the hippocampus specifically affect human behaviour and cognitive ability is still unknown. However, it can be speculated based on animal models that because the hippocampus plays such a vital role in memory formation, and regulation of mood and emotion, increased hippocampal volume and activity could result adversely affect such functions. These findings have laid the foundation for investigating the relationship between hormone levels and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a disorder characterized by severe physical and psychological symptoms including mood swings comparable to depressive episodes.
Overall, this discovery provides a promising foundation for the development of specialized cognitive behavioral therapies and pharmaceutical therapies that will be able to effectively alleviate the physical and psychological symptoms associated with PMS and PMDD. Therefore, next time you, a friend, or a family member is experiencing emotional irregularities due to hormone fluctuations remember that such symptoms are due to a fascinating shift in female hippocampal structure, not just “that time of the month”.
Works Cited:
Max Planck Institute “Female Brains Change in Sync With Hormones.” NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 10 October 2016.
Posted by Kayla Rosiello
This is actually a very interesting study. I am glad there is a reason behind these feelings that a lot of people thing we exaggerate. i wonder if this is something that they are going to keep studying in the future.
ReplyDelete-Pam
I'm glad you found my post interesting! I believe this research has provided a solid starting point for further related research studies involving the origins of, and potential pharmaceutical and cognitive behavioral therapies for, woman suffering from PMS and PMDD. Hopefully, further research involving hormone specific treatments will eventually lead to symptom relief for countless woman around the world.
DeletePosted by Kayla Rosiello
The fact that estrogen was able to change the physical structure of the female brain is fascinating. Since hormones are able to change the structure of the brain, how would other important hormones such as testosterone or cortisol affect brain morphology? It would also be interesting to see how brain morphology changes during adolescence, since multiple hormones are being excreted to promote development.
ReplyDeletePosted by: Nicholas Georgette
Although I am unsure of how cortisol affects brain morphology, I can tell you that it is involved in the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA axis) and is more so involved in slow stress response. Cortisol is primarily involved in regulating blood glucose levels, and enhancing memory and learning during prolonged periods of stress (not fight or flight). It is known that high levels of cortisol in the bloodstream for long periods of time can damage cells throughout the body, so I'm sure that this applies to neurons as well.
DeleteAs for testosterone, I did some brief research and found this article: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150831001124.htm
Researchers found that testosterone hormone treatments on female-to-male transsexuals resulted in the reduction of grey matter volume in two areas of the brain related to language and vocabulary (Broca's and Wernicke's). But that it also increased the strength of the pathway (volume of white matter) between the two areas. This finding suggests that men and woman may have different ways of processing language and speech!
I am unsure of how exactly brain morphology changes during adolescence, and there have not been many neuroimaging studies done on neurological development in the pubertal stage. However, we know that neuroplasticity continues through adolescence into adulthood, and that adolescence is an important time for developing cognitive ability. Therefore, I believe it would be reasonable to predict that we would see some sort of morphological change in the frontal lobe.
Interesting study , no doubt that estrogen levels effects women's mood. This is especially seen in women who are pregnant before and after birth. it's fascinating to see that this is actually making changes in the brain its not just "phycological "
ReplyDelete- Fredjah Desmezeaux
People sometimes think that we are using PMSing as an excuse so we over exaggerate all these mix of emotions we get throughout our cycle. But it is really interesting to see a study done about it and about how hormones can cause all these different kinds of changes in the brain that are reflected through anger, sadness, frustration, etc. It definitely shows that PMSing is not a myth or an excuse. Do you think that the different hormonal changes can be responsible for cravings of a particular food experienced throughout our cycle and during pregnancy?
ReplyDelete-Genesis Figueroa
This was really interesting to read. I wonder by what factor estrogen makes the hippocampus increase. And also if there are any similarities/differences in this process during pregnancy. It also makes me think about what the signaling pathway could look like. This information could be relevant in managing other mood disorders like PMDD.
ReplyDeletePosted by Meagan Gustafson