Neurobiological aspects of womens' reactivity towards emotional cues in dependence of the menstrual cycle

• Applicant: Dr. Aisha Judith Leila Munk
• Subject Area: Biological Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience ; Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: from 2019 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 426549988

Present project is supposed to further elucidate neurobiological basics regarding the reactivity towards highly salient positive emotional stimuli (erotic pictures, positive valent pictures). In the long run, it is aimed to better understand associations of hormonal fluctuations with the reactivity towards positive emotions in women, as well as to study the variations in reactivity during the menstrual cycle. These insights are, on one hand, on principal relevant regarding studies in women (as well as regarding sex differences between men and women) - so it could for example make a difference at which phase during the menstrual cycle, women are being examined - on the other hand, results are also highly practically relevant regarding the broad use of hormonal contraceptives - as hormonal contraception could also have a great influence on this reactivity. The aim of this study is, therefore, to investigate, how hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle are associated with the processing of highly salient positive emotional cues. This is supposed to be tested using electroencephalography and the analyses of event-related potentials (ERPs). Results that have been reported in a former study from this department, which showed that women showed greater responsivity towards emotional words in an ERP which is related to motivational salience (the 'late positive potential' - "LPP") in association with higher estradiol-concentrations (Munk et al., 2018), are supposed to be extended: the stimulus material is supposed to be different (erotic, positive and neutral) pictures, and the hormones estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone are planned to be collected. Furthermore, aromatase is planned to be analyzed as well, as it is the enzyme that catalysts the metabolism from testosterone to estradiol. Testosterone is therefore, interesting because it is the precursor of estradiol, as well as aromatase, because the (until now unanswered) question is, in which way the concentration of estradiol - is on the one hand depending on available testosterone- and/or aromatase concentration. This has not been investigated in association with the responsivity towards emotional stimuli and is highly interesting because the concentration of testosterone is supposed to be relatively constant during the menstrual cycle: Therefore, aromatase might be the critical molecule influencing the available concentration of estradiol. While estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone have been measured for a long time in this department, the establishment of a systematic analyzation procedure for aromatase in saliva (until now, it can only be analyzed using blood samples), will be implemented in a preliminary study. Furthermore, women using hormonal contraceptives (estradiol & gestagenes, "micropill"), will be studied in the same way, therefore, on one hand serving as control group, on the other hand, it can be investigated, how hormonal contraception influences emotional reactivity.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Jürgen Hennig