Brain's learning linked with female hormones: Study

Brain processes involved in helping one learn may naturally fluctuate in line with the female reproductive cycle and be linked with molecule changes due to dopamine production, according to a new study in mice, findings from which could potentially explain how the neurochemical helps in learning in humans.

"There is a growing realisation in the medical community that changes in the oestrogen levels are related to cognitive function and, specifically, psychiatric disorders," said Christine Constantinople, a professor in New York University's center for neural science and senior author of the study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

"Despite the broad influence of hormones throughout the brain, little is known about how these hormones influence cognitive behaviours and related neurological activity," Constantinople said.

Researchers performed experiments with mice, which involved providing the animals with audio cues carrying information about water availability.