In a First, Scientists Found Structural, Brain-Wide Changes During Menstruation

[u/DefiantThroat]

https://www.sciencealert.com/in-a-first-scientists-found-structural-brain-wide-changes-during-menstruation

[u/UnRealistic_Load]

(From OP article)

To address the menstruation gap in our understanding, the team took MRI scans of their subjects during three menstrual phases: menses, ovulation, and mid-luteal. At the time of each of these scans, the researchers also measured the participants' hormone levels.

The results showed that, as hormones fluctuate, gray and white matter volumes change too, as does the volume of cerebrospinal fluid.

In particular, just before ovulation, when the hormones 17β-estradiol and luteinizing hormone rise, the brains of the participants showed white matter changes suggesting faster information transfer.

Follicle-stimulating hormone, which rises before ovulation, and helps stimulate the ovary follicles, was associated with thicker gray matter.

Progesterone, which rises after ovulation, was associated with increased tissue and decreased cerebrospinal fluid volume.

What this means for the person driving the brain is unknown, but the research lays the groundwork for future studies, and perhaps understanding the causes of unusual but severe period-related mental health problems.

"Although we do not currently report functional consequences or correlates of structural brain changes, our findings may have implications for hormone-driven alterations in behavior and cognition," the researchers wrote.

"Investigation of brain-hormone relationships across networks is necessary to understand human nervous system functioning on a daily basis, during hormone transition periods, and across the human lifespan."

The findings are reported in Human Brain Mapping.

[u/ReferenceMuch2193 → u/UnRealistic_Load]

Which is also poignant because fsh rises with menopause and if fsh causes thickening grey matter what does this mean?

[u/Eggs76 → u/ReferenceMuch2193]

It's very unlikely that grey matter thickens in response to hormonal changes. It would be extremely hard to track differences in cortical thickness in menopause that aren't linked to ageing of the brain in general

[u/ReferenceMuch2193 → u/Eggs76]

The article stated a link, at least with this study, between fsh and grey matter.

[u/Eggs76 → u/ReferenceMuch2193]

It is really hard to track changes between scans that happen in short time periods. There is significant variability in noise, both physiology and scanner related, that cause fluctuations in volume over short time periods. This study didn't really control for or consider this at all. There are some things you can do that can at least try to account for this short term variability.

This is exactly my field of research and I am currently working on evaluating the level of volume fluctuation between short term scans, and developing methods that attempt to cut through the noise when taking volume measurements over time