L22 - Sex Hormones Flashcards
What are the primary sex hormones in males and females?
Males - testosterone
also have estrogen at low levels that is converted from testosterone.
Females - eostrogen and progesterone
also produce really low levels of testosterone
How do sex hormones interact with the brain?
- Receptors for these hormones are found all over the body and brain.
- estrogen and progesterone can influence acitivity of NT systems and receptor functioning - Glutaminergic, GABAergic, Dopaminergic and serotinergic pathways.
- eostrgen and progesterone receptors overlap those pathways (as mentioned above) and suggest that the hormones have some imput into mood, emotion and motor control etc… instead of simply sexual function
Sex hormones across the lifespan?
- little peak of estrogen and testosterone (in their related sex) at around 3 months. increases from birth and goes back down by 6 months
- dramatic increase at age 10
- testosterone stays stable (very slow decrease past 50)
- oestrogen decreases and reaches very low level just before 50 - menopause
- some increase in estrogen in males and testosterone in females at around 10, but stays low for life.
sex hormones at puberty?
Pituitary gland releases FSH + LH > reaches ovaries/testes which send feedback hormones to the hypothalamus and pituatory gland to release more
sex hormones also change monthly for women - menstrual cycle - impacting women
Gender differences and behaviour?
- sex differences found in children toy preferences. girls like toys that allow nurturance and social play, whilst boys like toys that are more active
- hard to det. the role of family and friends/nature vs nurture, however ..
1 day old baby boy prefers to look at mobiles and girls prefer to look at female faces
male vervet monkeys prefer to play with cars or balls and females prefer to play with dolls.
How does testosterone affect social behaviour?
- associated with social aggression in a wide range of species –> mate and territorial guarding, COMPETITIVE BEHAVIOUR
- T is released in response to social challenges - male chimps increased in T and agression when females in estrus
- some suggest T should be attributed to competitve behaviour, and low in nurturance, instead of sex/male
-
Gender and violence?
- offending rates consistently higher for men
can also see this for when testosterone increases in adolescences, violence increases
2/5 victims are also male thoguh - domestic homicide
estrogen and social behaviour?
- Higher levels = linked to better mood and improved memory and exec func
- admin of estrogen can bias decision making towards SMALLER and more accesible goals.
–> can modify beaviour by administerign compounds
Pheromones?
Chemicals that carry messages from one animal to another. They are released from one animal and directly affect the physiology or behaviour of another - in mammals, usually through smell.
When exposed to men’s sweat, women report greater alertness, positive mood, increased sexual arousal and timing of menstrual cycle was altered.
when participated in dating experiment, rated men to be mroe attractive
- women living in together synchronise their menstrual cycles.
Sex hormones and mental health?
- Depression is 1.5-3 times more prevalent in women.
- Periods of hormonal transitions and elevated/fluctuating sex hormones are associated with increased mood disturbances!!!
- large study found a correlation between suicide attempts and periods of low estrogen across menstrual cycle
so its the CHANGE in hormones that creates an effect
contraceptives
- contraceptives had greater risk of requiring anti depressants and receiving depression diagnosis than non users
- contraceptives with more progesterone showed more risk
- greatest impacts seen in adolescents ages 15-19yrs, with the use of pill increasing antidepressant use by ~80%
post-partum
dramatic change in hormone levels, along with high stress and genetic vulnerability may lead to post partum depression
also might have to do with sleep dep
- blues, depression, psychosis
Schizophrenia
- emerges late adolesence and early adulthood for males and females, around the time adolescence hormone kicks in. linked to synaptic plasticity genes?
How does post partum hormones affect mental health?
- blues
more common, mothers in the first 2 weeks of labour, not considered a psychiatric disorder, irritability, flucuating mood, anxiety, emotional reactivity - depression
first year post partum, excessive guilt, anxiety, insomnia/hypersomnia, suicidal ideation, depression - moderate to severe symptoms, prolonged course
- psychosis
0. 01-2% in first 3 months, mixed/rapid cycling, agitation, delusions, hallucinations, cognitive impairment, low insight, disorganised behaviour - considered a psychiatric emergency, often necessitieses hospitalisation
Schizophrenia and hormones?
Schizophrenia
- emerges late adolesence and early adulthood for males and females, around the time adolescence hormone kicks in. linked to synaptic plasticity genes?
contraceptives and mental health?
contraceptives
- contraceptives had greater risk of requiring anti depressants and receiving depression diagnosis than non users
- contraceptives with more progesterone showed more risk
- greatest impacts seen in adolescents ages 15-19yrs, with the use of pill increasing antidepressant use by ~80%
