The brain of a woman is capable of changing in size
Last reviewed: 31.05.2018
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Employees of the leading German Institute for Human Consciousness and the Brain (WMD - the Max Planck Society, Leipzig) came to the conclusion that the volume of the brain in the fair sex can change cyclically. To be more precise, only one part of the brain changes - the hippocampus. This change occurs on a monthly basis, and the reason for this is estrogens - female sex hormones.
In the experiment, about three dozen women volunteers took part. For several weeks in a row, they took blood for tests, monitoring the level of sex hormones in the blood. At the same time, participants regularly made a magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, controlling its condition.
In the course of the experiment, it was found that estrogens significantly affect the course of almost all processes in the female body. In addition, along with an increase in the level of hormones in the blood, a separate area of the brain - the hippocampus - also increased.
By the way, the hippocampus is a site of the brain responsible for memorability, long-term memory processes, the formation of emotions and spatial orientation. The human brain has two hippocampi localized in the temporal lobes of the brain. Both hippocampus are connected with each other by a neuron in the brain.
While scientists do not quite understand whether the detected cyclic changes can in any way affect the state of the female psyche. However, there are all grounds to assume that they still influence. A little earlier this study was carried out on female white mice: as a result, it was noted that their health and behavior changed drastically during periods of cyclical increase in the hippocampus.
Experts suggest that periodic psychoemotional jumps in women, which are often very noticeable (anxiety, irritability, tearfulness, depression, etc.), can also be associated with an increase in a certain area of the brain.
In the future, the Institute's employees plan to continue the experimental research begun. Possible goals of the following experiments will be:
- study the effect of cyclic changes in brain areas on the intellectual abilities of women;
- study the possibility of preventing and preventing depressive postpartum conditions in women.
Since the study found that the increase in the hippocampus is observed during the ovulation period, and its decrease - during menstrual bleeding, then based on this, it is possible to draw up a regimen for taking certain medications to minimize the negative manifestations of these cyclic periods. It is likely that soon medical specialists will be able to directly affect the nervous system, balancing and normalizing the level of estrogen hormones in the body. Thus, it will be possible to stabilize the psychoemotional state and well-being of women, without adversely affecting hormonal processes and the endocrine system.