Short-term hormone treatment modulates emotion response circuitry in postmenopausal women.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of combination hormone therapy (HT) on emotional processing in postmenopausal women with use of functional neuroimaging.


METHODS
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study was performed.


METHODS
A tertiary care university medical center.


METHODS
Ten healthy postmenopausal women (mean age 56.9 years, SD = 1.4 years) were recruited.


METHODS
Women were assigned randomly to the order they received combined HT, 5 microg ethinyl E(2) and 1 mg norethindrone acetate, and placebo. Volunteers received HT or placebo for 4 weeks, followed by a 1-month washout period, and then received the other treatment for 4 weeks. Subjects participated in a functional magnetic resonance imaging emotional processing task, where they were asked to rate emotional pictures as positive, negative, or neutral.


METHODS
Brain activation patterns were compared between HT and placebo conditions within subjects.


RESULTS
During negative emotional presentations, after subtracting the effect of neutral images, areas of significant differences between HT and placebo conditions were identified in the orbital, frontal, cingulate, and occipital cortices. During positive emotional image presentation there were significant differences between placebo and HT conditions within the medial frontal cortex.


CONCLUSIONS
Short-term menopausal treatment with combination HT affects regional brain activity within areas implicated in emotional processing.
Love
Tiffany
T
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
Smith
Yolanda R
YR
Persad
Carol C
CC
Tkaczyk
Anne
A
Zubieta
Jon-Kar
JK
D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009640:Norethindrone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000077563:Norethindrone Acetate; D010919:Placebos; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000523:psychology*; D011859:Radiography; D013997:Time Factors
D004338:Drug Combinations; D004967:Estrogens; D010919:Placebos; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D000077563:Norethindrone Acetate; D009640:Norethindrone