Abstract

Oral contraceptive research is scarce, lacking representative samples and specificity in the generation of the pill. The pill can vary in terms of androgenicity, which can produce masculizing or feminizing effects on the brain. Clinical and animal studies havesupported that these changes may alter spatial memory and performance, attentional abilities, and affect. In this study, adolescent female Sprague-Dawley rats were injected intravenously with either an androgenic oral contraceptive, an anti-androgenic oral contraceptive, or a vehicle without a drug. Oral contraceptives did not impact anxiety in rodents but seemed to impair spatial and attention abilities in rodents. Treatment with an oral contraceptive led to worse performance in the MWM probe trial compared to control animals. The pill also decreased performance within the attentional task relative to controls, regardless of androgenicity. Contraceptive groups did not differ in anxiety measures within the EPM compared to controls. Therefore, it is pertinent that the impact of androgenicity of progestins on learning, anxiety, and attention continues to be explored. These findings support the idea that oral contraceptives can affect behavior and cognition, which is pertinent information for those who rely on these for medications.

Advisor

Thompson, Claudia

Department

Neuroscience

Disciplines

Behavioral Neurobiology | Biological Psychology | Clinical Psychology | Cognitive Neuroscience | Cognitive Psychology

Keywords

Androgen, testosterone, contraceptive, birth control, behavior, rodent, cognition, attention, spatial memory, anxiety

Publication Date

2024

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

Download

Share

COinS
 

© Copyright 2024 Rachael N. Dudziak