There is increasing evidence that reproductive hormones exert regulatory effects in the central nervous system that can influence behavioral, cognitive, perceptual, affective, and motivational processes. These effects occur in adults and post-pubertal individuals, and can be demonstrated in humans as well as laboratory animals. Large changes in 17β-estradiol and progesterone occur over the ovarian cycle (i.e., the menstrual cycle) and afford a way for researchers to explore the central nervous system (CNS) effects of these hormones under natural physiological conditions. Increasingly, oral contraceptives are also being studied, both as another route to understanding the CNS effects of reproductive hormones and also as pharmacological agents in their own right. This mini-review will summarize the basic physiology of the menstrual cycle and essential facts about oral contraceptives to help novice researchers to use both paradigms effectively.

中文翻译：

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行为内分泌研究人员对月经周期和口服避孕药使用的简要指南。

越来越多的证据表明，生殖激素在中枢神经系统中发挥调节作用，可影响行为，认知，知觉，情感和动机过程。这些效应发生在成人和青春期后的个体中，并且可以在人类以及实验动物中得到证实。17β-雌二醇和孕酮的大量变化发生在卵巢周期（即月经周期）内，为研究人员探索这些激素在自然生理条件下的中枢神经系统（CNS）效应提供了途径。口服避孕药的研究也越来越多，既是了解生殖激素对中枢神经系统作用的另一种途径，又是本身具有药理作用的药物。