Natural variation in female reproductive hormones does not affect contrast sensitivity.

ABSTRACT: Evidence suggests that females experience adaptive shifts in facial preferences across the menstrual cycle. However, recent discussions and meta-analyses suggest that these findings are equivocal. A previously unexplored question is the extent to which shifts in female preferences are modulated by hormone-dependent changes occurring in low-level vision, such as visual sensitivity. This mechanistic approach has been a novel method for investigating the extent to which complex perceptual phenomena are driven by low-level versus higher-level perceptual processes. We investigated whether the contrast sensitivity function-an early dimension of vision-is also influenced by variation in female reproductive hormones. Visual contrast thresholds were measured for 1, 4 and 16 cycles/degree gratings d

SUBMITTER: Webb ALM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5830758 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature