Women using hormonal contraceptives show increased valence ratings and memory performance for emotional information.

ABSTRACT: Perception of emotional valence and emotional memory performance vary across the menstrual cycle. However, the consequences of altered ovarian hormone levels due to the intake of hormonal contraceptives on these emotional and cognitive processes remain to be established. In the present study, which included 2169 healthy young females, we show that hormonal contraceptives (HC) users rated emotional pictures as more emotional than HC-non-users and outperformed non-users in terms of better memory recall of emotional pictures. The observed association between HC-status and memory performance was partially mediated by the perception of emotional picture valence, indicating that increased valence ratings of emotional pictures in HC-users led to their better emotional memory performance. These fi

SUBMITTER: Spalek K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6784990 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature