Natural and synthetic sex hormones: Effects on higher-order cognitive function and prepulse inhibition

Little is known about the effects of the commonly-used oral contraceptive pill (OC) on cognition. This study compared matched healthy women across the menstrual cycle (early-follicular ‘Low E/P’, mid-luteal ‘High E/P’), women using the combined OC, and men. The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) was used to assess immediate and delayed memory, visuospatial ability, language and attention. Assessment of prepulse inhibition (PPI) included 21 pulse-alone trials (115 dB) and 42 prepulse-pulse trials (74, 78, 86 dB). The OC and High E/P groups outperformed men on the total RBANS score, an overall measure of cognition. For the immediate memory/learning and attention domains, the OC group outperformed men; for the delayed memory domain, the OC and High E/P groups outperformed men. In conclusion, high levels of natural or synthetic sex hormones had a positive effect on higher-order cognition but had little effect on baseline PPI.

► We measured cognition and PPI in men and in women during different hormonal stages.
► Women using the contraceptive pill or women during the high hormone stage outperformed men on cognition.
► Different hormonal states in women had little effect on baseline PPI.