Orbitofrontal cortex activity related to emotional processing changes across the menstrual cycle

Abstract

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has been implicated in the representation of emotional stimuli, assignment of emotional valence/salience to stimuli, stimulus-reinforcement association learning, motivation, and socio-emotional control. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging in female subjects without premenstrual mood symptoms, we found that OFC activity to emotional linguistic stimuli varies depending on the menstrual cycle phase. Specifically, anterior-medial OFC activity for negative vs. neutral stimuli was increased premenstrually and decreased postmenstrually. The inverse pattern was seen in the lateral OFC. These findings suggest that specific subregional OFC activity to emotional stimuli is modulated across the menstrual cycle. The data also demonstrate that menstrual cycle phase is an important consideration in further studies attempting to elucidate the neural substrates of affective representation.

Fig. 1.

Schematic figure of the neuropsychological paradigm architecture.

Fig. 2.

OFC activity in response to emotional stimuli across the menstrual cycle. (a) Axial (z = -18) and sagital (x = 0) sections showing increased medial OFC and decreased lateral OFC activity for the negative go vs. neutral go condition in the premenstrual (luteal) vs. postmenstrual (follicular) phases of the menstrual cycle. Color coding in the scale represents study specific t values (right = right). (b) A coronal section at y = 51 showing increased medial OFC activity for the negative go vs. neutral go condition in the premenstrual vs. postmenstrual phases of the menstrual cycle. The graph shows BOLD response (arbitrary units) at the medial OFC point showing maximum activity in the premenstrual vs. postmenstrual phases of the cycle to negative go vs. neutral go words (3, 51, -18). Activity is shown for negative go (GoNE), neutral go (GoNU), and positive go (GoPO) words relative to a resting baseline in the premenstrual and postmenstrual phases. (c) A coronal section at y = 39 showing decreased right and left lateral OFC activity for the negative go vs. neutral go condition in the premenstrual vs. postmenstrual phases of the menstrual cycle. The graph shows BOLD response (arbitrary units) at the right lateral (39, 36, -18) and left lateral (-45, 36, -12) OFC points showing minimum activity in the premenstrual vs. postmenstrual phases of the cycle to negative go vs. neutral go words. Activity is shown for negative go (GoNE), neutral go (GoNU), and positive go (GoPO) words relative to a resting baseline in the premenstrual and postmenstrual phases.

Fig. 3.

OFC activity in response to emotional stimuli in the context of behavioral inhibition across the menstrual cycle. (a) Axial (z = -15), coronal (y = 57), and sagital (x = -15) sections showing increased medial OFC activity for the negative no-go vs. neutral no-go condition in the premenstrual (luteal) vs. postmenstrual (follicular) phases of the menstrual cycle. Color coding in the scale represents study specific t values (right = right). (b) The graph shows BOLD response (arbitrary units) at the medial OFC point showing maximum activity in the premenstrual vs. postmenstrual phases of the cycle to negative-go vs. neutral-go words (3, 51, -18). Activity is shown for negative no-go (NoGoNE), neutral no-go (NoGoNU), and positive no-go (NoGoPO) words relative to a resting baseline in the premenstrual and postmenstrual phases.