Ultra-high-field 7T MRI reveals changes in human medial temporal lobe volume in female adults during menstrual cycle

Ovarian hormones have substantial effects on the brain, and early menopause has been associated with increased risk of accelerated brain aging and dementia later in life. However, the impact of ovarian hormone fluctuations on brain structure earlier in life is less understood. Here we show that ovar...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature mental health 2023-10, Vol.1 (10), p.761-771
Main Authors: Zsido, Rachel G., Williams, Angharad N., Barth, Claudia, Serio, Bianca, Kurth, Luisa, Mildner, Toralf, Trampel, Robert, Beyer, Frauke, Witte, A. Veronica, Villringer, Arno, Sacher, Julia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alzheimer's disease
Body mass index
Brain
Dementia
Females
Hormones
Magnetic resonance imaging
Medical imaging
Memory
Menstruation
Neuroimaging
Ovaries
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Request full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Ovarian hormones have substantial effects on the brain, and early menopause has been associated with increased risk of accelerated brain aging and dementia later in life. However, the impact of ovarian hormone fluctuations on brain structure earlier in life is less understood. Here we show that ovarian hormone fluctuations shape structural brain plasticity during the reproductive years. We use longitudinal ultra-high field neuroimaging across the menstrual cycle to map the morphology of medial temporal lobe subregions in 27 participants. Controlling for water content and blood flow, our findings reveal positive associations between estradiol and parahippocampal cortex volume, progesterone and subiculum and perirhinal area 35 volumes, and an estradiol*progesterone interaction with CA1 volume. This research offers a blueprint for future studies on the shared dynamics of the brain and ovarian function and a fundamental stepping stone towards developing sex-specific strategies to improve brain health and mental health.
ISSN:2731-6076
2731-6076
DOI:10.1038/s44220-023-00125-w