Gingnell Malin, Bannbers Elin, Engman Jonas, Frick Andreas, Moby Lena, Wikström Johan, Sundström-Poromaa Inger
a * Department of Women's and Children's Health , Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden.
b Department of Psychology , Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden.
Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care. 2016;21(2):150-7. doi: 10.3109/13625187.2015.1077381. Epub 2015 Aug 20.
Cognitive control, which can be described as the ability to moderate impulses, has not previously been investigated in users of combined hormonal contraception (CHC). Given the suggested modulatory role of ovarian steroids in prefrontal dopaminergic function, which in turn taps into cognitive control, this randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled oral contraceptive trial set out to investigate the brain activity pattern during response inhibition in CHC users.
Thirty-four women were randomised to one treatment cycle with a levonorgestrel-containing CHC or placebo. The women performed a Go/NoGo task to measure brain activity during response inhibition by use of event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) prior to and during the CHC/placebo treatment cycle.
No differences between CHC and placebo users in number of correct inhibitions were found during treatment, but only women on CHC significantly improved their performance between the baseline and treatment assessments. During the treatment cycle CHC users displayed decreased activity in the right middle frontal gyrus in comparison with placebo users. No other significant activations were evident between treatment groups or within groups.
Overall, CHC use had marginal effects on brain activity during response inhibition. If anything, the findings of the study may suggest reduced effort or increased efficiency in maintaining orbitofrontal cortex inhibitory cognitive control when using a combined oral contraceptive.
认知控制可被描述为调节冲动的能力，此前尚未在复方激素避孕药（CHC）使用者中进行过研究。鉴于卵巢甾体激素在前额叶多巴胺能功能中具有调节作用，而这又与认知控制相关，这项随机、双盲、安慰剂对照的口服避孕药试验旨在研究CHC使用者在反应抑制过程中的脑活动模式。
34名女性被随机分配接受含左炔诺孕酮的CHC或安慰剂的一个治疗周期。这些女性在CHC/安慰剂治疗周期之前和期间，通过事件相关功能磁共振成像（fMRI）执行Go/NoGo任务，以测量反应抑制过程中的脑活动。
治疗期间，CHC使用者和安慰剂使用者在正确抑制次数上没有差异，但只有服用CHC的女性在基线和治疗评估之间显著提高了她们的表现。在治疗周期中，与安慰剂使用者相比，CHC使用者右侧额中回的活动减少。治疗组之间或组内没有其他明显的激活。
总体而言，使用CHC对反应抑制过程中的脑活动有轻微影响。如果有什么的话，该研究结果可能表明，使用复方口服避孕药时，维持眶额皮质抑制性认知控制的努力减少或效率提高。
