Ovarian hormones, hormonal contraceptives and reward processing

Area of Science:

• Neuroendocrinology
• Neurobiology of Reward

Background:

• Ovarian hormones play a crucial role in brain function, particularly in reward processing.
• Reward processing encompasses motivation, response to, and learning about rewards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of how ovarian hormones influence reward function.
• To focus on the impact of hormonal contraception derivatives on reward processing.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of existing research on ovarian hormones and reward function.
• Analysis of studies investigating the effects of estradiol, progesterone, and allopregnanolone on reward pathways.
• Examination of research on hormonal contraception and its neurobiological effects.

Main Results:

• Estradiol generally promotes reward functions, while progesterone often inhibits them.
• Allopregnanolone's effects on reward are concentration-dependent, following an inverted-U pattern.
• Hormonal contraception may interfere with reward neurobiology, potentially causing mood and sexual desire changes.

Conclusions:

• Ovarian hormones significantly modulate reward processing in the brain.
• Hormonal contraception warrants further investigation for its effects on mood and sexual desire.
• Understanding these mechanisms has implications for menopausal hormone therapy, contraception side effects, and substance use disorder treatments.