Hormonal Cycle and Contraceptive Effects on Amygdala and Salience Resting-State Networks in Women with Previous Affective Side Effects on the Pill
I want to point out these researchers compared endogenous AND exogenous hormone levels' effect on brain size, connectivity, depression, reactions etc. It would be misleading to directly compare our HRT to their group on BCP, due to synthetics, progesterone, etc., yet conclusions are quite possible.
Estrogen Shapes Dopamine-Dependent Cognitive Processes: Implications for Women's Health
"The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is exquisitely sensitive to its neurochemical environment. Minor fluctuations in cortical dopamine (DA) can profoundly alter working memory, a PFC-dependent cognitive function that supports an array of essential human behaviors. Dopamine's action in the PFC follows an inverted U-shaped curve, where an optimal DA level results in maximal function and insufficient or excessive DA impairs PFC function. In animals, 17β-estradiol (the major estrogen in most mammals, referred to henceforth as estradiol) has been shown to enhance DA activity, yet no human study has adequately addressed whether estradiol's impact on cognition occurs by way of modulating specific neurochemical systems. Here we examined the effects of endogenous fluctuations in estradiol on working memory in healthy young women as a function of baseline PFC DA [indexed by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met genotype and, at a finer scale, COMT enzyme activity]. The results demonstrate that estradiol status impacts working memory function and, crucially, the direction of the effect depends on indices of baseline DA. Moreover, consistent with a DA cortical efficiency hypothesis, functional MRI revealed that inferred optimal DA was associated with reduced PFC activity sustained across task blocks and selectively enhanced PFC activity on trials with the greatest demand for cognitive control. The magnitude of PFC activity during high control trials was predictive of an individual's performance. These findings show that although estrogen, considered in isolation, may have unpredictable effects on cognitive performance, its influence is clarified when considered within a larger neuromodulatory framework. Given the clinical prevalence of dopaminergic drugs, understanding the relationship between estrogen and DA is essential for advancing women's health."
optimal DA was associated with reduced PFC activity sustained across task blocks and selectively enhanced PFC activity on trials with the greatest demand for cognitive control
Thanks! Another addictive rabbit hole for me!... I'm met/met, my sister (who wished she was a boy as much as I wished I could live as a girl) is val/val.
compared with the ancestral val/val allelic variant, met/met individuals have decreased COMT activity, enhanced PFC-dependent cognitive function, and greater cortical efficiency
A real problem in my backwater elementary school...
On the high-interference/high-control lure trials during the 2-back condition, val/val women performed poorly at the start of their cycle when estradiol was low and improved when estradiol levels were high. met/met women showed the opposite pattern, with strong performance under low estradiol conditions and impaired performance under high estradiol conditions (Fig. 2C).
Doesn't click with me... But maybe I felt better with "low performance"? Or maybe my basal DA is just abnormally low without added E? Or this works differently in male bodies?
In a related pharmacogenomic study, Mattay et al. (2003) found that amphetamine administration improved WM performance and enhanced cortical efficiency for val/val subjects. met/met subjects, however, became cortically inefficient on drug, presumably because near-optimal basal DA levels were heightened beyond the optimal range.
That I totally confirm! Tiny doses of psychoactive drugs are enough, typical doses are way too much, a serious downer for me.
Found this - not about estrogen, but confounding factors:
Further analysis showed that Val/Val homozygotes with higher parental warmth chose more advantageously than those with lower parental warmth (Figure 1B, t(290) = 2.68, p < .01, Cohen's d = .32), but no difference was found for Met carriers (t(239) = .44, p = .66).
That Fig.2b is amazing - parental warmth takes val/val people from <2 to almost 12, while (insignificantly) reducing performance of people with any met. My sister was (still is!) more addicted to earning parental warmth than anyone else I've known. Convinced herself they totally loved and supported her, even when they directly blocked her own wishes. "They know best!" They treated me like an alien intruder, no clue how to interact, and afraid to encourage my ego. I mostly ignored them.
So a lot going on here... And I'm only halfway down the first page of val/met search results...
The More Fertile, the More Creative: Changes in Women’s Creative Potential across the Ovulatory Cycle
"Creative thinking is a defining human feature. It provides novel solutions and as such undoubtedly has contributed to our survival. However, according to signaling theory, creativity could also have evolved through sexual selection as a potential fitness indicator. In our study, we tested one implication of this theory. Specifically, we hypothesized that if creativity can serve as a signal of women’s fitness, then we should observe an increase in creative thinking in the fertile phase of the ovulatory cycle compared to other non-fertile phases. In our study (N = 751), we tested creative potential throughout the ovulatory cycle. We found a positive correlation between the probability of conception and both creative originality and flexibility. Importantly, we also tested the mediating role of arousal in the relationship between the probability of conception and creative thinking. The results of our study are discussed in terms of signaling theory, through which women advertise their fitness with their creativity. "
Would this explain why I code better being on hormones? It's like I'm 17 again, programming prowess-wise. Computer programming flows much easier, like it did when I was some years younger.
On 10 October 2021 02:30:55 UTC, noface <antonysavich@...> wrote:
The More Fertile, the More Creative: Changes in Women’s Creative Potential across the Ovulatory Cycle
"Creative thinking is a defining human feature. It provides novel solutions and as such undoubtedly has contributed to our survival. However, according to signaling theory, creativity could also have evolved through sexual selection as a potential fitness indicator. In our study, we tested one implication of this theory. Specifically, we hypothesized that if creativity can serve as a signal of women’s fitness, then we should observe an increase in creative thinking in the fertile phase of the ovulatory cycle compared to other non-fertile phases. In our study (N = 751), we tested creative potential throughout the ovulatory cycle. We found a positive correlation between the probability of conception and both creative originality and flexibility. Importantly, we also tested the mediating role of arousal in the relationship between the probability of conception and creative thinking. The results of our study are discussed in terms of signaling theory, through which women advertise their fitness with their creativity. "
-- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
No face ,if bullshit was snow , you would be a blizzard
On Sat, Oct 9, 2021, 10:42 PM Ellenor Bjornsdottir <ellenor@...> wrote:
Would this explain why I code better being on hormones? It's like I'm 17 again, programming prowess-wise. Computer programming flows much easier, like it did when I was some years younger.
On 10 October 2021 02:30:55 UTC, noface <antonysavich@...> wrote:
The More Fertile, the More Creative: Changes in Women’s Creative
Potential across the Ovulatory Cycle
"Creative thinking is a defining human feature. It provides novel
solutions and as such undoubtedly has contributed to our survival. However, according to signaling theory, creativity could also have evolved through sexual selection as a potential fitness indicator. In our study, we tested one implication of this theory. Specifically, we hypothesized that if creativity can serve as a signal of women’s fitness, then we should observe an increase in creative thinking in the fertile phase of the ovulatory cycle compared to other non-fertile phases. In our study (N = 751), we tested creative potential throughout the ovulatory cycle. We found a positive correlation between the probability of conception and both creative originality and flexibility. Importantly, we also tested the mediating role of arousal in the relationship between the probability of conception and creative thinking. The results of our study are discussed in terms of signaling theory, through which women advertise their fitness with their creativity. "
-- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
You did not bother taking apart any of Noface's arguments (to the extent they have them; this seems to just be a "hey i found this cool conversation starter study"). You just call them a bullshit tornado without further comment.
Do better.
On 10 October 2021 07:01:48 UTC, CC Thalken <Ccthalken@...> wrote:
No face ,if bullshit was snow , you would be a blizzard
On Sat, Oct 9, 2021, 10:42 PM Ellenor Bjornsdottir <ellenor@...> wrote:
Would this explain why I code better being on hormones? It's like I'm 17 again, programming prowess-wise. Computer programming flows much easier, like it did when I was some years younger.
On 10 October 2021 02:30:55 UTC, noface <antonysavich@...> wrote:
The More Fertile, the More Creative: Changes in Women’s Creative
Potential across the Ovulatory Cycle
"Creative thinking is a defining human feature. It provides novel
solutions and as such undoubtedly has contributed to our survival. However, according to signaling theory, creativity could also have evolved through sexual selection as a potential fitness indicator. In our study, we tested one implication of this theory. Specifically, we hypothesized that if creativity can serve as a signal of women’s fitness, then we should observe an increase in creative thinking in the fertile phase of the ovulatory cycle compared to other non-fertile phases. In our study (N = 751), we tested creative potential throughout the ovulatory cycle. We found a positive correlation between the probability of conception and both creative originality and flexibility. Importantly, we also tested the mediating role of arousal in the relationship between the probability of conception and creative thinking. The results of our study are discussed in terms of signaling theory, through which women advertise their fitness with their creativity. "
-- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
-- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
Hun , I don't need a further comment. I've been on the site long enough to know that an amphetamine fueled brain is wasting my time and yours
On Sun, Oct 10, 2021, 3:09 AM Ellenor Bjornsdottir <ellenor@...> wrote:
The absolute NERVE on CC.
You did not bother taking apart any of Noface's arguments (to the extent they have them; this seems to just be a "hey i found this cool conversation starter study"). You just call them a bullshit tornado without further comment.
Do better.
On 10 October 2021 07:01:48 UTC, CC Thalken <Ccthalken@...> wrote:
No face ,if bullshit was snow , you would be a blizzard
On Sat, Oct 9, 2021, 10:42 PM Ellenor Bjornsdottir <ellenor@...
wrote:
Would this explain why I code better being on hormones? It's like I'm 17 again, programming prowess-wise. Computer programming flows much easier, like it did when I was some years younger.
On 10 October 2021 02:30:55 UTC, noface <antonysavich@...> wrote:
The More Fertile, the More Creative: Changes in Women’s Creative
Potential across the Ovulatory Cycle
"Creative thinking is a defining human feature. It provides novel
solutions and as such undoubtedly has contributed to our survival.
However,
according to signaling theory, creativity could also have evolved
through
sexual selection as a potential fitness indicator. In our study, we
tested
one implication of this theory. Specifically, we hypothesized that if creativity can serve as a signal of women’s fitness, then we should
observe
an increase in creative thinking in the fertile phase of the ovulatory cycle compared to other non-fertile phases. In our study (N = 751), we tested creative potential throughout the ovulatory cycle. We found a positive correlation between the probability of conception and both creative originality and flexibility. Importantly, we also tested the mediating role of arousal in the relationship between the probability of conception and creative thinking. The results of our study are
discussed in
terms of signaling theory, through which women advertise their fitness
with
their creativity. "
-- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
-- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
On Sat, Oct 9, 2021 at 11:42 PM, Ellenor Bjornsdottir wrote:
Would this explain why I code better being on hormones? It's like I'm 17 again, programming prowess-wise. Computer programming flows much easier, like it did when I was some years younger.
I can totally relate. There are of course substitutes, but I've come to prefer the natural stuff :)
CC, are you... the one on amphetamine? How do you feel on it? Brings back memories, I haven't taken that stuff for more than a year. If that isn't what you meant, to quote Mrs. Rabbit, https://youtu.be/nGt9jAkWie4
The More Fertile, the More Creative: Changes in Women’s Creative
Potential across the Ovulatory Cycle
"Creative thinking is a defining human feature. It provides novel
solutions and as such undoubtedly has contributed to our survival.
However,
according to signaling theory, creativity could also have evolved
through
sexual selection as a potential fitness indicator. In our study, we
tested
one implication of this theory. Specifically, we hypothesized that if creativity can serve as a signal of women’s fitness, then we should
observe
an increase in creative thinking in the fertile phase of the ovulatory cycle compared to other non-fertile phases. In our study (N = 751), we tested creative potential throughout the ovulatory cycle. We found a positive correlation between the probability of conception and both creative originality and flexibility. Importantly, we also tested the mediating role of arousal in the relationship between the probability
of
conception and creative thinking. The results of our study are
discussed in
terms of signaling theory, through which women advertise their fitness
with
their creativity. "
-- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
-- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
I'm posting it here, even though I don't have total certianty this relates directly to hormones, or if this is a genetic thing, but it would be interesting to investigate that relationship - it is likely. Interesting article nevertheless.
Vascular and blood-brain barrier-related changes underlie stress responses and resilience in female mice and depression in human tissue
"Abstract Prevalence, symptoms, and treatment of depression suggest that major depressive disorders (MDD) present sex differences. Social stress-induced neurovascular pathology is associated with depressive symptoms in male mice; however, this association is unclear in females. Here, we report that chronic social and subchronic variable stress promotes blood-brain barrier (BBB) alterations in mood-related brain regions of female mice. Targeted disruption of the BBB in the female prefrontal cortex (PFC) induces anxiety- and depression-like behaviours. By comparing the endothelium cell-specific transcriptomic profiling of the mouse male and female PFC, we identify several pathways and genes involved in maladaptive stress responses and resilience to stress. Furthermore, we confirm that the BBB in the PFC of stressed female mice is leaky. Then, we identify circulating vascular biomarkers of chronic stress, such as soluble E-selectin. Similar changes in circulating soluble E-selectin, BBB gene expression and morphology can be found in blood serum and postmortem brain samples from women diagnosed with MDD. Altogether, we propose that BBB dysfunction plays an important role in modulating stress responses in female mice and possibly MDD."
"Alzheimer’s disease has a higher incidence in older women, with a spike in cognitive decline that tracks with visceral adiposity, dysregulated energy homeostasis and bone loss during the menopausal transition1,2. Inhibiting the action of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) reduces body fat, enhances thermogenesis, increases bone mass and lowers serum cholesterol in mice3,4,5,6,7. Here we show that FSH acts directly on hippocampal and cortical neurons to accelerate amyloid-β and Tau deposition and impair cognition in mice displaying features of Alzheimer’s disease. Blocking FSH action in these mice abrogates the Alzheimer’s disease-like phenotype by inhibiting the neuronal C/EBPβ–δ-secretase pathway. These data not only suggest a causal role for rising serum FSH levels in the exaggerated Alzheimer’s disease pathophysiology during menopause, but also reveal an opportunity for treating Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, osteoporosis and dyslipidaemia with a single FSH-blocking agent."
Mt. Sinai certainly scored the search hits with that discovery! So does blocking FSH with this magical "polyclonal antibody" do something that reducing serum FSH level with added estrogen doesn't?
First search:
https://www.inviafertility.com › blog › infertility › katie-koss › can-you-lower-my-fsh-level Can the FSH level be lowered? Technically, it is very easy to suppress FSH levels by giving patients estrogen pills. However, the FSH level is an indirect indicator of ovarian reserve. The FSH level is not the problem! The compromise in egg quality is the core issue. Just lowering the FSH level will not result in an improvement in egg quality. Is it worthwhile trying to reduce FSH levels?:
https://www.centerforhumanreprod.com › blog › is-it-worthwhile-trying-to-reduce-fsh-levels Lowering the FSH (which can be done easily in a few short days by raising estrogen levels) will treat the symptom and not the disease. It's like treating the fever in an infection with aspirin, instead of treating the causative bacteria with an antibiotic.
https://blog.drmalpani.com › 2010 › 02 › how-can-i-reduce-my-fsh-levels.html In fact, it's very easy to reduce the FSH level - just take estrogen medications , and it will go down to normal in one week. This because estrogens suppress the high FSH level ( in a mechanism called negative feedback), and bring it back to the normal range.
https://www.thelaboroflove.com › articles › natural-ways-to-help-your-fsh-levels-decrease Another natural way to reduce your levels of FSH is with dietary supplements. Some of the supplements that may help can include blue-green algae, royal jelly, and wheat grass. Other dietary choices can cause FSH levels to increase, such as things like sugars, refined carbohydrates, coffee, and tobacco.
Sounds like for reproductive problems FSH is just a symptom. But if "FSH acts directly on hippocampal and cortical neurons" in Alzheimer's, then reducing serum level might help?
Gene regulation by gonadal hormone receptors underlies brain sex differences
Oestradiol establishes neural sex differences in many vertebrates and modulates mood, behaviour and energy balance in adulthood. In the canonical pathway, oestradiol exerts its effects through the transcription factor oestrogen receptor-α (ERα)9. Although ERα has been extensively characterized in breast cancer, the neuronal targets of ERα, and their involvement in brain sex differences, remain largely unknown. Here we generate a comprehensive map of genomic ERα-binding sites in a sexually dimorphic neural circuit that mediates social behaviours. We conclude that ERα orchestrates sexual differentiation of the mouse brain through two mechanisms: establishing two male-biased neuron types and activating a sustained male-biased gene expression program. Collectively, our findings reveal that sex differences in gene expression are defined by hormonal activation of neuronal steroid receptors. The molecular targets we identify may underlie the effects of oestradiol on brain development, behaviour and disease.
i.e. the female represented by your gene structure has to be smarter than the male represented by your gene structure in order for your gene structure to represent a coherent survival strategy, otherwise the male, being larger, would simply eat the female.
On Thu, May 12, 2022 at 11:02 AM noface 🇺🇦 <ns.nanika@...> wrote:
Gene regulation by gonadal hormone receptors underlies brain sex differences
Oestradiol establishes neural sex differences in many vertebrates and modulates mood, behaviour and energy balance in adulthood. In the canonical pathway, oestradiol exerts its effects through the transcription factor oestrogen receptor-α (ERα)9. Although ERα has been extensively characterized in breast cancer, the neuronal targets of ERα, and their involvement in brain sex differences, remain largely unknown. Here we generate a comprehensive map of genomic ERα-binding sites in a sexually dimorphic neural circuit that mediates social behaviours. We conclude that ERα orchestrates sexual differentiation of the mouse brain through two mechanisms: establishing two male-biased neuron types and activating a sustained male-biased gene expression program. Collectively, our findings reveal that sex differences in gene expression are defined by hormonal activation of neuronal steroid receptors. The molecular targets we identify may underlie the effects of oestradiol on brain development, behaviour and disease.
which was interesting to me as a trans woman who suffers from schizoaffective disorder with dissociative symptoms, since it suggests that HRT helps NMDA function in people like me, reducing dissociative symptoms.
I did not have access to my hormones for a while and ended up defacto detransitioning, and have only recently gone back on them. I have to say, it does seem to be improving my cognitive function and suppressing symptoms.
I don't feel as good as I did before I went off of my hormones, but at least there's an improvement.
On Thu, May 12, 2022 at 12:45 PM Jessica Creel via groups.io <stuffedpinkowl@...> wrote:
i.e. the female represented by your gene structure has to be smarter than the male represented by your gene structure in order for your gene structure to represent a coherent survival strategy, otherwise the male, being larger, would simply eat the female.
On Thu, May 12, 2022 at 11:02 AM noface 🇺🇦 <ns.nanika@...> wrote:
Gene regulation by gonadal hormone receptors underlies brain sex differences
Oestradiol establishes neural sex differences in many vertebrates and modulates mood, behaviour and energy balance in adulthood. In the
canonical
pathway, oestradiol exerts its effects through the transcription factor oestrogen receptor-α (ERα)9. Although ERα has been extensively characterized in breast cancer, the neuronal targets of ERα, and their involvement in brain sex differences, remain largely unknown. Here we generate a comprehensive map of genomic ERα-binding sites in a sexually dimorphic neural circuit that mediates social behaviours. We conclude
that
ERα orchestrates sexual differentiation of the mouse brain through two mechanisms: establishing two male-biased neuron types and activating a sustained male-biased gene expression program. Collectively, our findings reveal that sex differences in gene expression are defined by hormonal activation of neuronal steroid receptors. The molecular targets we
identify
may underlie the effects of oestradiol on brain development, behaviour
