Brain News
A team of researchers at Ohio State University explored how hormonal birth control impacts the adolescent brain. The study was presented at Neuroscience 2022, the Society for Neuroscience’s annual meeting.
The Study
The researchers administered a combination of synthetic estrogen and progesterone (chemicals used in hormonal contraceptives) to female rats for three weeks. They then surveyed the changes in brain activity and behavior.
The Findings
The results revealed that synthetic hormones used in birth control pills, patches, and injections interfere with signal transmission between the cells in the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain that develops throughout adolescence. This imbalance of standard signaling patterns can also trigger depressive and stress disorders.
The authors elaborated: “What we need is to be informed about what synthetic hormones are doing in the brain so we can make informed decisions — and if there are any risks, then that’s something that needs to be monitored. Then if you decide to use hormonal birth control, you would pay more attention to warning signs if you knew of any possible mood-related side effects.”
To Know More You May Refer To
Ohio State University. (2022, November 15). How hormonal birth control may affect the adolescent brain: Research in rats hints at increased stress, signaling changes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 18, 2022 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221115114115.htm