Background

While there is evidence for increased food intake and craving during the luteal phase, underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. The present study investigated electrophysiological responses to food pictures as a function of menstrual cycle phase. In addition, the moderating effects of progesterone, eating behaviors (restraint, emotional, orthorexic), negative affect, and premenstrual complaints were explored.

Methods

Using a within-subject design, 35 free-cycling women watched and rated pictures of food (high and low caloric) and control items during the follicular, the ovulatory, and the luteal phase (counterbalanced), while EEG was recorded to examine the late positive potentials (LPP). Salivary gonadal hormones and affect were examined at each occasion. Eating behaviors and premenstrual complaints were assessed once.

Results

For parietal regions, average LPPs were comparable between cycle phases but slightly larger LPP amplitudes were elicited by high caloric food pictures as compared to the neutral category. Descriptively, both food categories elicited larger parietal LPPs than neutral pictures during the luteal phase. Analyses of LPPs for central-parietal regions showed no effect of picture category or cycle phase, except higher amplitudes in the right area during the luteal phase. During the luteal phase, progesterone and functional interference from premenstrual symptoms (but not age, BMI, picture ratings, affect, estradiol, or eating behaviors) significantly predicted larger parietal LPPs towards high caloric (but not low caloric) pictures.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest a heightened food cue reactivity during the luteal phase, which may relate to higher ovarian hormone secretion and more functional impact of premenstrual symptoms. This research contributes to a better understanding of menstrual health and the identification of preventive strategies for premenopausal women.

中文翻译：

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食物提示引起的大脑潜能在整个月经周期中都会发生变化：通过进食方式，负面影响和经前不适来调节。

背景

尽管有证据表明在黄体期食量增加和渴望，但潜在的机制尚不完全清楚。本研究调查了对食物图片的电生理反应与月经周期的关系。此外，还探讨了孕酮，饮食行为（节制，情绪，矫正），负面影响和经前不适的调节作用。

方法

使用受试者内部设计，在卵泡期，排卵期和黄体期（平衡）期间，有35名自由骑行的妇女观看并评价了食物（高热量和低热量）和对照品的照片，同时记录了脑电图以检查晚期正电位（LPP）。每次检查唾液性腺激素和影响。对饮食行为和经前不适进行一次评估。

结果

对于顶区，平均LPP在周期阶段之间是可比较的，但是与中性类别相比，高热量食物图片会引起稍大的LPP幅度。从描述上说，在黄体期，这两种食物都比中性图片引起更大的顶叶LPP。对中部顶叶区域的LPP的分析显示，在黄体期右侧区域的振幅较高，但图像类别或周期相位没有影响。在黄体期，黄体酮和经前症状（但不包括年龄，BMI，图像等级，影响，雌二醇或进食行为）的功能干扰显着预测较大的顶叶LPPs朝向高热量（但低热量）图像。

结论

我们的发现表明黄体期的食物提示反应性增强，这可能与卵巢激素分泌增加和经前症状的更多功能影响有关。这项研究有助于更好地了解经期健康，并为绝经前妇女确定预防策略。