title: Mineralocorticoid receptor haplotype, oral contraceptives and emotional information processing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral contraceptives (OCs) affect mood in some women and may have more subtle effects on emotional information processing in many more users. Female carriers of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) haplotype 2 have been shown to be more optimistic and less vulnerable to depression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of oral contraceptives on emotional information processing and a possible moderating effect of MR haplotype.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study in 85 healthy premenopausal women of West-European descent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found significant main effects of oral contraceptives on facial expression recognition, emotional memory and decision-making. Furthermore, carriers of MR haplotype 1 or 3 were sensitive to the impact of OCs on the recognition of sad and fearful faces and on emotional memory, whereas MR haplotype 2 carriers were not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Different compounds of OCs were included. No hormonal measures were taken. Most naturally cycling participants were assessed in the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carriers of MR haplotype 2 may be less sensitive to depressogenic side-effects of OCs.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands. Electronic address: d.a.hamstra@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hamstra
authors.affiliation: Leiden Academic Centre of Drug Research, Leiden University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: de Kloet
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: van Hemert
authors.affiliation: DynaCorts Therapeutics, Leidschendam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: de Rijk
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A J W
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Van der Does
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D018161:Receptors, Mineralocorticoid / Q000235:genetics*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal; D018161:Receptors, Mineralocorticoid
keywords: cognition; emotional information processing; mineralocorticoid receptor; oral contraceptives