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The Menstrual Cycle Modulates Whole-Brain Turbulent Dynamics
Eleonora De Filippi1, Carme Uribe2,3, Daniela S Avila-Varela4
1Computational Neuroscience Group, Center for Brain and Cognition, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
Frontiers in Neuroscience
|December 27, 2021
Summary
Brain activity differs between the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. The luteal phase shows higher information transmission across the brain, influenced by hormones like estradiol and progesterone.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Complex Systems
Background:
- Rhythmic changes in female sex hormones influence brain dynamics throughout the menstrual cycle.
- Specific differences in brain information processing between the follicular and luteal phases remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whole-brain information processing across spacetime scales during different menstrual cycle phases.
- To explore the impact of ovarian hormones (estradiol and progesterone) on brain dynamics using a novel turbulent dynamic framework.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a turbulent dynamic framework to analyze dense-sampled resting-state fMRI data from a naturally cycling woman.
- Compared information processing across spatial scales during the follicular and luteal phases.
- Examined brain activity under a hormonal contraceptive regime.
Main Results:
- The luteal phase exhibited significantly higher information transmission across spatial scales compared to the follicular phase.
- Distinct differences in turbulence levels were observed in key brain networks, including the default mode and salience networks.
- Estradiol and progesterone concentrations were found to modulate long-distance whole-brain turbulent dynamics.
Conclusions:
- The turbulent dynamic framework effectively captures menstrual cycle-related differences in whole-brain dynamics.
- Ovarian hormone fluctuations significantly impact brain information processing across spacetime.
- Hormonal contraceptives did not show significant differences in information processing measures between active and placebo phases.
Keywords:
brain information processingmenstrual cycleresting-state fMRIturbulencewhole-brain dynamicsMore Related Videos
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