Multisensory integration across the menstrual cycle

Sebastian Ocklenburg,Onur Güntürkün,Brigitte Röder,Anna Ball,Tobias Heed,Claudia C Wolf,Holger Cramer

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00666

Sebastian Ocklenburg, Onur Güntürkün + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00666

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Abstract

Evidence suggests that spatial processing changes across time in naturally cycling women, which is likely due to neuromodulatory effects of steroid hormones. Yet, it is unknown whether crossmodal spatial processes depend on steroid hormones as well. In the present experiment, the crossmodal congruency task was used to assess visuo-tactile interactions in naturally cycling women, women using hormonal contraceptives and men. Participants adopted either a crossed or uncrossed hands posture. It was tested whether a postural effect of hand crossing on multisensory interactions in the crossmodal congruency task is modulated by women's cycle phase. We found that visuotactile interactions changed according to cycle phase. Naturally cycling women showed a significant difference between the menstrual and the luteal phase for crossed, but not for uncrossed hands postures. The two control groups showed no test sessions effects. Regression analysis revealed a positive relation between estradiol levels and the size of crossmodal congruency effects (CCE), indicating that estradiol seems to have a neuromodulatory effect on posture processing.

Highlights

Information processing within neural systems is modulated by a diverse array of endo- and exogenous chemical substances (Katz, 1999; Doya, 2002; Marder and Thirumalai, 2002)
We found that visuotactile interactions changed according to cycle phase
It was hypothesized that spatial remapping processes as well as interhemispheric interaction during multisensory integration should be affected by sex hormones

Summary

Introduction

Information processing within neural systems is modulated by a diverse array of endo- and exogenous chemical substances (Katz, 1999; Doya, 2002; Marder and Thirumalai, 2002) Steroids and their metabolites, which alter neuronal signaling e.g., by binding to membrane-bound receptors, are among the most powerful neuromodulators (Paul and Purdy, 1992; Melcangi and Panzica, 2006; Melcangi et al, 2011) and have been found to modulate various neurotransmitter systems within the central nervous system, e.g., the GABAergic (Smith et al, 1987a; Smith, 1989; Akk et al, 2005; Hosie et al, 2006), the glutamatergic (Smith et al, 1987b, 1988; Guerra-Araiza et al, 2008), the dopaminergic (Di Paolo, 1994), the (nor-) epinephrinergic (Mahata and Mahata, 1992), and the serotonergic systems (Mahata and Mahata, 1992; but see Hyyppa and Cardinali, 1973). Naturally cycling women have been found to perform significantly better in the mental rotation task during the low estradiol menstrual phase than in the luteal phase (Hausmann et al, 2000)

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