Women using hormonal contraceptives show increased valence ratings and memory performance for emotional information

Spalek, Klara; Loos, Eva; Schicktanz, Nathalie; Hartmann, Francina; Quervain, Dominique J.‐F. de; Stier, Christina; Milnik, Annette

doi:10.1038/s41386-019-0362-3

Cited by 23 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Third, there was an equal number of women using oral contraceptives in both groups. Although oral contraceptives have been shown to impact on cognitive empathy, affective responsiveness, and perception of emotional valence [ 61 – 63 ], in the current study we did not find an effect of oral contraceptives on cognitive and emotional empathy.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 96%

Cognitive and emotional empathy after stimulation of brain mineralocorticoid and NMDA receptors in patients with major depression and healthy controls

Nowacki

Wingenfeld

Kaczmarczyk

et al. 2020

Neuropsychopharmacol.

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Mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) are predominantly expressed in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Both brain areas are associated with social cognition, which includes cognitive empathy (ability to understand others’ emotions) and emotional empathy (ability to empathize with another person). MR stimulation improves memory and executive functioning in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls, and leads to glutamate-mediated N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) signaling. We examined whether the beneficial effects of MR stimulation can be extended to social cognition (empathy), and whether DCS would have additional beneficial effects. In this double-blind placebo-controlled single-dose study, we randomized 116 unmedicated MDD patients (mean age 34 years, 78% women) and 116 age-, sex-, and education years-matched healthy controls to four conditions: MR stimulation (fludrocortisone (0.4 mg) + placebo), NMDA-R stimulation (placebo + D-cycloserine (250 mg)), MR and NMDA-R stimulation (both drugs), or placebo. Cognitive and emotional empathy were assessed by the Multifaceted Empathy Test. The study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03062150). MR stimulation increased cognitive empathy across groups, whereas NMDA-R stimulation decreased cognitive empathy in MDD patients only. Independent of receptor stimulation, cognitive empathy did not differ between groups. Emotional empathy was not affected by MR or NMDA-R stimulation. However, MDD patients showed decreased emotional empathy compared with controls but, according to exploratory analyses, only for positive emotions. We conclude that MR stimulation has beneficial effects on cognitive empathy in MDD patients and healthy controls, whereas NMDA-R stimulation decreased cognitive empathy in MDD patients. It appears that MR rather than NMDA-R are potential treatment targets to modulate cognitive empathy in MDD.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 96%

Cognitive and emotional empathy after stimulation of brain mineralocorticoid and NMDA receptors in patients with major depression and healthy controls

Nowacki

Wingenfeld

Kaczmarczyk

et al. 2020

Neuropsychopharmacol.

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“…Therefore, the active intake of OCs seems to be linked to an enhanced emotional reactivity towards positive as well as negative emotional scenarios. In line with these findings, a large-scale study recently showed that women using HCs showed significantly higher emotional reactivity by rating the valence of emotional stimuli more emotionally intense and recalling these emotional pictures significantly better than did naturally cycling women [27•].…”

Section: Influence Of Hcs On Psychological and Neurophysiological Mecmentioning

confidence: 67%

Effects of Hormonal Contraceptives on Mood: A Focus on Emotion Recognition and Reactivity, Reward Processing, and Stress Response

Lewis

Kimmig²,

Zsido

et al. 2019

Curr Psychiatry Rep

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Purpose of Review We review recent research investigating the relationship of hormonal contraceptives and mood with a focus on relevant underlying mechanisms, such as emotion recognition and reactivity, reward processing, and stress response. Recent Findings Adverse effects of hormonal contraceptives (HCs) on mood seem most consistent in women with a history of depressive symptoms and/or previous negative experience with HC-intake. Current evidence supports a negativity bias in emotion recognition and reactivity in HC-users, although inconsistent to some extent. Some data, however, do indicate a trend towards a blunted reward response and a potential dysregulation of the stress response in some HC-users. Summary HC-effects on psychological and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying mood are likely context-dependent. We provide suggestions on how to address some of the contributing factors to this variability in future studies, such as HC-dose, timing, administration-mode, and individual risk. A better understanding of how and when HCs affect mood is critical to provide adequate contraceptive choices to women worldwide.

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“…In contrast, negative intrusions were more prominent in the luteal than follicular phase ( Ferree and Cahill, 2009 ; Ferree et al, 2011 ). Interestingly, in a large sample (1215 OC users and 954 free-cycling women) OC users showed better recall of positive contents than free-cycling women ( Spalek et al, 2019 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Facial Emotion Recognition and Emotional Memory From the Ovarian-Hormone Perspective: A Systematic Review

2021

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BackgroundWe review original papers on ovarian-hormone status in two areas of emotional processing: facial emotion recognition and emotional memory. Ovarian-hormone status is operationalized by the levels of the steroid sex hormones 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4), fluctuating over the natural menstrual cycle and suppressed under oral contraceptive (OCs) use. We extend previous reviews addressing single areas of emotional processing. Moreover, we systematically examine the role of stimulus features such as emotion type or stimulus valence and aim at elucidating factors that reconcile the inconsistent results.MethodsWe followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and included papers published until September 2020 indexed in PubMed and Web of Science databases. Search terms were MeSH terms (emotional OR emotion) AND (X) AND (estrogen OR progesterone OR menstrual cycle OR oral contraceptives) with (X) representing our separately searched areas, resulting in (processing OR recognition OR empathy), and (memory OR recall). To be included, articles had to (1) be written and published in English, (2) examine healthy, non-pregnant adult women in their reproductive age, and (3) measure or at least estimate levels of E2 and P4. In PubMed, the search was (4) limited to humans and (5) to the search term present in the title or abstract.ResultsFeatures of the provided stimulus material (emotion type and/or valence) constitute a relevant influence that interacts with E2- and P4-related ovarian-hormone status. For instance, recognition of basic emotions appears to be more related to P4- than E2-levels. Quite consistent, OC intake (vs. natural menstrual cycling) was accompanied by impaired recognition accuracy of basic and also complex emotions, although not in a recent large-sample study assessing complex emotions. Memory recall of negative content was mainly enhanced by P4, especially after having been stressed.Discussion and ConclusionWe document the methodological diversity in the field, presumably contributing to the heterogeneity of results. More studies explicitly contrasting the early follicular phase, mid-cycle phase, mid-luteal, and OC intake while standardizing tasks are needed. Research would take advantage of using within-subject designs and accounting for the recognition of complex emotions.

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Women using hormonal contraceptives show increased valence ratings and memory performance for emotional information

Cited by 23 publications

References 46 publications

Cognitive and emotional empathy after stimulation of brain mineralocorticoid and NMDA receptors in patients with major depression and healthy controls

Cognitive and emotional empathy after stimulation of brain mineralocorticoid and NMDA receptors in patients with major depression and healthy controls

Effects of Hormonal Contraceptives on Mood: A Focus on Emotion Recognition and Reactivity, Reward Processing, and Stress Response

Facial Emotion Recognition and Emotional Memory From the Ovarian-Hormone Perspective: A Systematic Review

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