Table of contents:
- Do birth control pills affect the shape of the brain?
- Does taking birth control pills affect brain function?
According to the latest research presented at the annual meeting Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), women who regularly take birth control pills have a slightly different brain shape than women who don't. Is it true?
The type of birth control pill studied in the study was a combination pill containing the hormones progesterone and artificial estrogen. This birth control pill is one of the most commonly used contraceptive methods in an effort to delay pregnancy.
So, what kind of changes in the shape of the brain is meant in the study and is there an effect on the mental ability of the mother?
Do birth control pills affect the shape of the brain?
Research on the relationship between birth control pills and brain structure was conducted on 50 women, with 21 of them taking birth control pills regularly. They underwent an MRI examination to obtain a complete picture of the brain structure.
On average, women who took birth control pills had a hypothalamus that was 6 percent smaller than women who didn't take it.
Dr. Michael Lipton, head of research and professor of radiology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, United States, states that this difference is arguably quite large.
The hypothalamus is the part of the brain that regulates several normal body functions such as temperature, mood, appetite, sexual arousal, sleep cycle, and heart rate.
This part of the brain also regulates the production of various hormones needed for reproduction.
In addition, another study in the journal Scientific Reports have also found that women who take birth control pills have a form hippocampus, cerebellum (cerebellum), and fusiform gyrus with a slightly larger size.
Meanwhile, research by the University of Salzburg, Austria, in the same year found changes in a part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. Both play a role in the process of behavior and emotional recognition.
In general, various studies on birth control pills and brain structure have yielded mixed findings.
Although the two are related, there is no research that proves that taking birth control pills directly changes the structure of the brain.
Does taking birth control pills affect brain function?
Source: Healthline
If birth control pills do actually change the shape of the hypothalamus in the brain, then this finding shouldn't be too surprising.
Birth control pills contain reproductive hormones in the form of progesterone and estrogen. When taken orally, these hormones may signal the hypothalamus to stop producing the same hormones.
Dr. Lipton stated that the reproductive hormones produced by the hypothalamus are actually important for the growth of nerve cells in the brain.
He suspects, the hormones in birth control pills will inhibit this process and slow down the growth of brain nerve cells.
However, researchers do not know for sure what impact occurs when the hypothalamus is reduced in size. According to the same study, birth control pills also do not reduce the size or overall function of the brain.
The researchers found that the shrinking of the hypothalamus was associated with irritability and the onset of depressive symptoms.
However, there is no research that proves that this is because you are taking birth control pills.
The use of birth control pills may be related to changes in the shape of the hypothalamus in the brain. However, keep in mind that various studies that discuss this subject always yield mixed findings.
The effect of taking birth control pills on brain structure still needs to be studied further. While waiting for the latest, more accurate research results, birth control pills can still be a fairly safe and effective contraceptive method of choice.
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