Estrogen’s Effects upon the Brain

            One of the most common aspects of modern western civilization is the prevalence of oral contraceptives as a means of birth control among woman. Unfortunately, much of the effects of the hormones that are introduced into the brain, like estrogen, are still a mystery, and studies are still being conducted to analyze their relationship with particular areas of the brain—especially the hippocampus. Lizzette Borreli discusses the implications of recent studies with respect to estrogen’s effects upon the brain in her article, “Birth Control Pill May Alter Woman's Brain Structure; Are There Real-World Consequences?” Apparently, according to a recent study, oral contraceptives could be linked to thinning of particular structures in the brain, like the posterior cingulate cortex.

            Moreover, estrogen is known to interact with the hippocampus and affect processes, including memory. According to a study conducted by Wang et Al. in 2014, “Targeted enhancement of cortical-hippocampal brain networks and associative memory,” delving into suspected hippocampal role in associative memory and its networking with other regions of the brain. The results indicated that electromagnetic stimulation of the hippocampus enhances both of these roles. Similarly, estrogen influence upon the hippocampus could assist in explaining the dissimilarity in memory formation between the sexes. The effect of estrogen upon the body and brain provide a reason for why women have been found to have better long-term episodic memory and visuospatial memory. This is highly interesting because developments with the hormone could be useful in finding methods of slowing degenerative memory loss, especially in patients with Alzheimer’s.

            Furthermore, a 2010 study that Borreli writes of contradicts the results of the study finding thinner brain structures. The results of the 2010 study indicate and increase in gray matter volume after oral contraceptive intake; however, this is not necessarily correlative with improved memory and brain performance. Further research must be done in order to eliminate potential confounding factors that could have contributed to the increased volume of gray matter and to determine if that indicates improved performance. These could include either synthetic hormones that are ingested or even lower natural hormone levels as a result of pill intake. Regardless, these studies, along with many others have established estrogen as highly relevant in brain growth and prove that further insight will be highly relevant to modern drug therapy, especially with respect to the brain. 

Wang, E. X. & Rogers, L. M. & Evan G.Z. et al. (2014) “Targeted enhancement of cortical-hippocampal brain networks and associative memory." Science, 345(6200), 1054-1057. Retrieved from https://sakai.luc.edu/portal/site/NEUR_300_001_3222_1152/page/c2dda234-9f1c-4df6-97d5-7254360d2f56.

Borelli, L. (2015, April 7). Birth Control Pill May Alter Woman's Brain Structure; Are There Real-World Consequences? Retrieved May 1, 2015, from http://www.medicaldaily.com/birth-control-pill-may-alter-womans-brain-structure-are-there-real-world-consequences-328304