title: Sex hormone manipulation slows reaction time and increases labile mood in healthy women.
abstract: Women show increased risk of depressive symptoms in life phases where ovarian steroid hormone levels fluctuate or decline rapidly. The risk mechanisms may include changes in mental state and affective cognition possibly mediated by serotonergic neurotransmission.
  
  
  
  In a randomized controlled double-blinded trial, 61 healthy women (mean age 24.3±4.9 years) were tested with measures of affective verbal memory, reaction time, mental distress, and serotonin transporter binding at baseline and at follow-up after receiving gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) or placebo intervention. Women also reported daily mood profiles during intervention. We tested direct effects of intervention and indirect effects through changes in serotonin transporter binding on verbal affective memory, simple reaction time and self-reported measures of mental distress, and further effects of GnRHa on daily mood.
  
  
  
  GnRHa induced an increase in simple reaction time (p=0.03) and more pronounced fluctuations in daily self-reported mood in a manner dependent on baseline mood (p=0.003). Verbal affective memory recall, overall self-perceived mental distress, and serotonin transporter binding were not affected.
  
  
  
  In healthy women transient sex-steroid hormone fluctuations decrease speed of information processing and further produce more labile mood only in women with elevated levels of mood disturbances at baseline.
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Research Unit and Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark. Electronic address: dea@nru.dk.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Stenbæk
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Research Unit and Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark. Electronic address: patrick.fisher@nru.dk.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, University of Copenhagen, Oster Farimagsgade 5, 1014 Copenhagen K, Denmark. Electronic address: zrg272@ku.dk.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Budtz-Jørgensen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark; Fertility Department, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark. Electronic address: anja.bisgaard.pinborg.01@regionh.dk.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pinborg
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Research Unit and Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark. Electronic address: hansen@nru.dk.
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Hjordt
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Research Unit and Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark. Electronic address: peje@nru.dk.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Research Unit and Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark. Electronic address: gitte@nru.dk.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Knudsen
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Research Unit and Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark. Electronic address: vibegf@gmail.com.
authors.forename: V G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Frokjaer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects*; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000819:agonists*; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D004958:Estradiol
keywords: Cognition; Estradiol; Gonadotrophin-Releasing-Hormone agonist; Mood; Serotonin transporter; Verbal affective memory