Birth control pills may alter how women perceive fear. Here’s how
Birth control pills may alter how women perceive fear. Here’s how
Birth control pills may affect the brain's fear-regulating regions in women, potentially increasing the risk of anxiety and stress-related disorders, according to a study.
Article itself: Frontiers | Morphologic alterations of the fear circuitry: the role of sex hormones and oral contraceptives
Front. Endocrinol., 07 November 2023 https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2023.1228504
Background: Endogenous sex hormones and oral contraceptives (OCs) have been shown to influence key regions implicated in fear processing. While OC use has been found to impact brain morphology, methodological challenges remain to be addressed, such as avoiding selection bias between OC users and non-users, as well as examining potential lasting effects of OC intake.
Objective: We investigated the current and lasting effects of OC use, as well as the interplay between the current hormonal milieu and history of hormonal contraception use on structural correlates of the fear circuitry. We also examined the role of endogenous and exogenous sex hormones within this network.