Oral contraceptive use, especially during puberty, alters resting state functional connectivity

Abstract

Millions of women worldwide use oral contraceptives (OCs), often starting during puberty/adolescence. It is, however, unknown how OC use during this critical period of development affects the brain. The objective of the current study was to examine resting state functional connectivity (FC) in the default mode network (DMN), central executive network (CEN), salience network (SN), reward network (RN), and subcortical limbic network of the brain using independent component analysis (ICA) between pubertal- and adult-onset OC users (n = 27) and naturally cycling women (n = 48). It was hypothesized that OC use would result in network-specific increases and decreases in FC and that pubertal-onset OC use would result in differences to the aforementioned networks compared to adult-onset OC use. Pubertal-onset OC use is related to heightened FC in the SN compared to adult-onset OC users. In general, OC use also increases connectivity in the SN, CEN, RN, and subcortical limbic network compared to NC women. No significant differences in connectivity were observed in the DMN between OC users and NC women. These findings provide a mechanistic insight for the altered executive functioning and emotion/reward processing previously seen in OC users, which may then increase their vulnerability to mental health conditions.

Keywords: Central executive network; Independent component analysis; Oral contraceptives; Puberty; Resting state fMRI; Reward network; Salience network.