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oral contraceptives

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·November 7, 2023·5 min read

Oral Contraceptives’ Effect on Brain’s Fear Center

Researchers discovered that oral contraceptives may thin the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in women, potentially influencing emotion regulation, especially fear responses. The study examined both current and former users of combined oral contraceptives (COCs), finding that the cortical thinning appears to be reversible after discontinuing use.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 28, 2020·4 min read

Your Brain on Birth Control

Oral contraceptive use is associated with blunted stress response and brain activity differences during working memory tasks in women who started using birth control during puberty. Early adulthood exposure to oral contraceptives was linked to significant structural changes in brain areas associated with memory and emotional processing.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·May 20, 2020·3 min read

Birth control pills affect the love hormone

Women who take oral birth control pills have higher levels of oxytocin than women who don't use the pill.

This shows the brain scans of the hypothalamus

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·December 4, 2019·2 min read

Key brain region smaller in birth control pill users

A new neuroimaging study reveals women who take oral contraception have reduced hypothalamic volume compared to women who do not take the pill. Smaller hypothalamic volume was associated with increased negative emotions and depression risk.

This shows a depressed looking young adult laying on the ground

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 2, 2019·6 min read

Teens taking oral contraceptives may be at increased risk for depressive symptoms

No association was found between oral contraceptive use and depressive symptom severity in females aged 16 to 25. However, 16-year-olds who take the pill reported higher depressive symptom severity than their peers who did not use oral birth control.