The female hormones responsible for the menstrual cycle influence our brain and play on memory, according to a press release from Concordia University in Canada.
Researchers at Concordia University in Canada conducted a study with 45 women with regular menstrual cycles. The hormonal profiles of the participants were established, as was their consumption of drugs to identify the evolution of memory according to the menstrual cycle.
The volunteers had to perform an experiment to assess their auditory memory (remembering a list of words) and their ability to orient themselves virtually (finding their way through a video game maze).
The conclusions of this experiment showed that in times ofovulation, women had better scores on auditory memory assessment, but in the premenstrual period, they adapted better in space. Hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle would therefore have more varied implications than one might think and would have effects on memory.
“Women sometimes tell their doctor that their memory functions differently depending on which phase of the menstrual cycle they are in, even during and after pregnancy or after pregnancy. menopause Explains Wayne Brake, professor of psychology and co-author of the study.
“This observation is scientifically significant,” comments Wayne Brake. We and other researchers have previously shown that in rodents, estrogen and progesterone levels affect different areas of the brain and various memory systems used in task solving. “
Medicine is too often adapted to men
The conclusions of this kind of study highlight that too often medical studies are based on the male profile.
“Studies aimed at developing drugs and treatments for the general population have always been carried out on males or male rats,” explains Dema Hussain, a recent PhD and lead author of the study. “However, we now know that women do not have the same physiological responses as men. “
“I hope this study will highlight the need for further research to better understand the female brain and to take more account of the effects of female sex hormones on cognitive abilities and memory. “
THE’French Academy of Medicine often alarms health authorities as a reminder that women and men should be treated differently given their different metabolism and immune systems.
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