Increasing evidence indicates that ovarian hormones affect brain structure, chemistry and function of women in their reproductive age, potentially shaping their behavior and mental health. Throughout the reproductive years, estrogens and progesterone levels fluctuate across the menstrual cycle and can modulate neural circuits involved in affective and cognitive processes. Here, we review seventy-seven neuroimaging studies and provide a comprehensive and data-driven evaluation of the accumulating evidence on brain plasticity associated with endogenous ovarian hormone fluctuations in naturally cycling women (n =1304). The results particularly suggest modulatory effects of ovarian hormones fluctuations on the reactivity and structure of cortico-limbic brain regions. These findings highlight the importance of performing multimodal neuroimaging studies on neural correlates of systematic ovarian hormone fluctuations in naturally cycling women based on careful menstrual cycle staging.

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月经周期的神经影像：多模式系统评价

越来越多的证据表明，卵巢激素会影响育龄女性的大脑结构、化学和功能，可能影响她们的行为和心理健康。在整个生育期内，雌激素和黄体酮水平会在月经周期中波动，并且可以调节涉及情感和认知过程的神经回路。在这里，我们回顾了 77 项神经影像学研究，并对自然周期女性 (n = 1304) 中与内源性卵巢激素波动相关的大脑可塑性的积累证据进行了全面的、数据驱动的评估。结果特别表明卵巢激素波动对皮质边缘脑区域的反应性和结构具有调节作用。这些发现强调了基于仔细的月经周期分期，对自然周期女性的系统性卵巢激素波动的神经相关性进行多模式神经影像学研究的重要性。