Hormones and Behavior最新文献

{"title":"Association between CAIDE risk score and episodic memory in middle-aged females: The impact of spontaneous menopause","authors":"Julia Kearley ,&nbsp;Rikki Lissaman ,&nbsp;Alix Laugier ,&nbsp;M. Natasha Rajah","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105739","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105739","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is growing evidence that postmenopause is associated with episodic memory decline in some females. Although midlife vascular risk factors are established predictors of brain health, it is unclear whether episodic memory decline at postmenopause is related to vascular risk, and whether such effects affect specific mnemonic functions (e.g. recollective processing vs. novelty detection). This study investigated whether vascular risk, measured by the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Dementia (CAIDE) score, predicts episodic memory in middle-aged females at pre- and post-menopause. Eighty-five cognitively unimpaired females (42 premenopausal, 43 postmenopausal) aged 39.5 to 65.1 years completed easy (low encoding load) and hard (high encoding load) versions of a face-location episodic memory task. Outcome measures were spatial source retrieval (correct source accuracy; CS) and detection of novel stimuli (correct rejections; CR). Linear-mixed models (LMMs) tested menopause group effects on CS and CR, while separate LMMs stratified by menopause status assessed whether CAIDE score predicted memory performance in each group. Results indicated that postmenopausal females performed worse than premenopausal females in both CS (β = 0.08, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001) and CR (β = 0.05, <em>p</em> = 0.011), with postmenopausal females more sensitive to task difficulty in CS. Higher CAIDE scores were associated with poorer CS accuracy in postmenopausal females only (β = −0.14, <em>p</em> = 0.009), with no effect on CR. These findings highlight the significance of vascular risk in episodic memory decline and emphasize the role of reproductive status in midlife cognition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 105739"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143837933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Activational and organizational actions of gonadal hormones on the sexual dimorphism of the α6-subunit containing GABAA receptor in Wistar rats with neuropathic pain","authors":"Juan Miguel Pizaña-Encarnación ,&nbsp;María José Escoto-Rosales ,&nbsp;Ana M. Islas-Espinoza ,&nbsp;Diana Karen Morales-Galindo ,&nbsp;Myrna Déciga-Campos ,&nbsp;Blanca Gómez Quintanar ,&nbsp;Rebeca Reyes ,&nbsp;Vinicio Granados-Soto ,&nbsp;Alonso Fernández-Guasti","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105746","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105746","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sex differences in pain perception and response to analgesics are well documented, yet the underlying causes remain poorly understood. Here we investigate the sexual dimorphism in the function of α₆GABA_A receptors in neuropathic pain, focusing on activational and organizational actions of gonadal hormones. Using the nerve ligation model in rats, we found that the positive allosteric modulator, PZ-ll-029 (30 nmol, it), produced a robust antiallodynic effect in females but not in males. Ovariectomy abolished this effect, while a single dose of estradiol (20 μg/kg sc, −24 h), that returned to physiological serum levels, partially restored it, indicating that the activational effect of estradiol is crucial for α₆GABA_A receptor-mediated antiallodynia in females. Interestingly, adult or neonatal (at postnatal day 3) orchidectomy did not alter the male's insensitivity to PZ-ll-029, even after estradiol treatment. However, neonatal female's virilization (with testosterone propionate 120 μg/rat at postnatal day 3) induced a male-like insensitivity to PZ-ll-029, that was partial when the ovaries were present and complete after adult ovariectomy. These findings reveal that the neonatal organizational effects of testosterone determine the sex-specific insensitivity of α₆GABA_A receptors to modulate neuropathic pain, while the activational effects of estradiol can partly maintain the female-typical response, despite early androgen exposure. Our results provide new insights into hormonal regulation of pain modulation and suggest that both developmental exposure and adult status should be considered in basic research and preclinical studies investigating sex-based dimorphisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 105746"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143843873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Oxytocin administration rescues the negative impacts of social isolation on wound healing in mice","authors":"Sydney R. Steele ,&nbsp;Anna S. Ratuski ,&nbsp;Emily I. Hui ,&nbsp;Brigette S. Mahoney ,&nbsp;Jerome T. Geronimo ,&nbsp;Monika K. Huss ,&nbsp;Karen J. Parker ,&nbsp;Joseph P. Garner","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105741","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105741","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In humans and animals, social isolation leads to worsened health outcomes in many disease areas, including wound healing. Oxytocin, a prosocial hormone with anti-inflammatory properties, has been strongly implicated in the salutary benefits of social relationships. Oxytocin administration can mitigate the negative effects of social isolation on health outcomes, as demonstrated in rat and hamster wound healing models. However, little research has been conducted with mice, which are more common laboratory animal models, and which have markedly different social structures from these other rodent species. Moreover, the effects of social isolation and oxytocin administration on wound healing have not been investigated in mice within the same experiment, nor have they been compared between males and females. Here, we housed male and female C57BL/6 mice (<em>n</em> = 40) in social isolation or same-sex pairs. Mice received a subcutaneous biopsy punch wound and were subsequently administered IP oxytocin or placebo daily for 14 days. Socially isolated mice administered oxytocin, and pair-housed mice administered either oxytocin or placebo, showed a significantly faster decrease in wound area and more collagen fiber variance (i.e., less scar tissue) compared to socially isolated mice administered placebo. No sex differences were observed in any outcome measure. Thus, social housing and oxytocin administration each non-additively reduce the negative effects of social isolation on wound healing in mice. Oxytocin administration may be a promising pharmacological strategy by which to improve post-surgical healing in animals and humans, especially in those where limited social contact is necessary or in those with sparse social networks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 105741"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143829121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hormonal changes in first-time human fathers in relation to paternal investment","authors":"James K. Rilling ,&nbsp;Minwoo Lee ,&nbsp;Carolyn Zhou ,&nbsp;Esther Jung ,&nbsp;Ella Arrant ,&nbsp;Agena Davenport-Nicholson ,&nbsp;Xing Zhang ,&nbsp;Kelly Ethun","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105740","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105740","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In many biparental species, males experience hormonal changes across the transition to fatherhood that prepare them for their new caregiving role. In humans, cross-sectional comparisons have revealed hormonal differences between fathers and nonfathers, however it is not clear when hormone levels change in new fathers, how such changes relate to paternal involvement and attachment, or even whether men with particular hormonal profiles are more likely to become fathers. In this longitudinal study, we aimed to elucidate the trajectory of hormonal changes in new fathers with greater temporal resolution than previous studies, and to provide further insight into the direction of causality between hormone levels and paternal behavior by asking whether hormone levels predict behavior at subsequent time points, or vice-versa. We recruited a sample of 51 first-time expecting fathers and measured levels of plasma testosterone, oxytocin, vasopressin and cortisol at four time points spanning 4–5 months gestation through 4 months postnatally, and we compared these changes to those found in a control sample of 57 adult male nonfathers. We also examined the concurrent and lagged relationships between hormone levels and fathers' self-reported paternal behaviors. From early in the prenatal period, fathers showed lower levels of both testosterone and vasopressin compared with nonfathers, and lower levels of these hormones during the prenatal period predicted greater postnatal paternal investment in the mother and child. Similar to what is known for human mothers, oxytocin levels increased across the gestational period in new fathers, but oxytocin levels were not associated with greater self-reported paternal involvement or attachment. Finally, cortisol levels did not differ between fathers and nonfathers, and were not predictive of paternal involvement or attachment. Our findings raise the possibility that low levels of vasopressin and testosterone found in expecting fathers anticipate a shift in life history strategy toward greater investment in parenting.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 105740"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143808400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vasotocin and oxytocin modulation of the endocrine and behavioral response to an aggressive challenge in male Siamese fighting fish","authors":"Bianca Fusani ,&nbsp;Andreia Ramos ,&nbsp;Sara D. Cardoso ,&nbsp;David Gonçalves","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105728","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105728","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aggressive behavior is an adaptive trait present across all taxa. However, the neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating it, particularly in fish, are not well understood. Oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasotocin (VT) are known modulators of aggression, but their actions remain controversial. This study tested the possible modulation of endocrine and behavioral responses to an aggression challenge by these nonapeptides in Siamese fighting fish, <em>Betta splendens</em>, a species known for its intrinsic aggressiveness. Male <em>B. splendens</em> were injected with different dosages of either Manning compound or L-368,899, VT and OXT receptor antagonists respectively, and were exposed to a mirror challenge for 30 min. While all fish displayed high levels of aggression toward their mirror image, no differences were observed between control-injected and treatment fish. However, blocking VT inhibited the post-fight increase in plasma levels of the androgen 11-ketotestosterone (KT). To further investigate this result, testis tissue from males was incubated with and without VT and Manning compound, and KT levels were measured after 180 min. Results showed a direct effect of VT on <em>in vitro</em> KT secretion, indicating the presence of VT receptors in the testes of this species. Overall, the study does not support a modulatory role of VT or OXT in aggressive behavior, although VT might be implicated in the regulation of peripheral androgen response to aggression in <em>B. splendens</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 105728"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hormonal contraceptives during adolescence impact the female brain and behavior in a rat model","authors":"Rachel A. Gilfarb ,&nbsp;Sanjana Ranade ,&nbsp;Marissa Smail ,&nbsp;Lynde Wangler ,&nbsp;Meredith Stewart ,&nbsp;Abhishek Rajesh ,&nbsp;Kathryn M. Lenz ,&nbsp;Benedetta Leuner","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105725","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105725","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Millions of people take hormonal contraceptives (HCs), often starting during adolescence when ovarian hormones influence brain and behavioral maturation. However, there is a fundamental lack of information about the neurobehavioral consequences of hormonal alterations via adolescent HC use. To begin addressing this gap, we validated a rodent model of adolescent HC administration and characterized its impact on endocrine, transcriptional, and behavioral endpoints. Cohorts of intact post-pubertal female Sprague-Dawley rats received daily subcutaneous injections of either vehicle or HC [10 μg ethinyl estradiol (EE) + 20 μg levonorgestrel (LNG)] for the duration of adolescence from postnatal day (PND) 35 to PND56. Blood and brain tissue was collected at PND57. Other cohorts received daily injections of vehicle or HC from PND35 until behavioral assays were completed on PND57–64. HC treatment was effective, as vaginal lavage indicated disrupted estrous cycling and ELISA indicated suppressed serum luteinizing hormone in HC-treated rats. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed EE and LNG in serum and brain as well as diminished serum and brain levels of allopregnanolone and testosterone in HC-treated rats. NanoString nCounter analysis indicated that adolescent HC administration impacted expression of genes related to synapses, white matter, neuroimmune, monoamine, and hormone signaling in the hypothalamus and medial prefrontal cortex. While no effects of HCs were seen on sociability in the social preference test or stress coping behavior in the forced swim test, adolescent HC administration diminished risk-assessment behaviors in the novelty-induced hypophagia paradigm and altered anxiety-like behavior in the open field test and elevated plus maze. Overall, these data suggest that exposure to contraceptive hormones during the critical developmental period of adolescence may shape the brain and behavior.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 105725"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143777239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neural connectivity of oxytocin receptor-expressing neurons in the nucleus accumbens and their role in social attachment","authors":"Nicole Rigney,&nbsp;Kengo Horie ,&nbsp;Ji-Dong Guo,&nbsp;Sarah A. Blumenthal,&nbsp;Zachary V. Johnson,&nbsp;Larry J. Young","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105726","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105726","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oxytocin receptor (OXTR) activity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) is critical for pair bonding in prairie voles. <em>Oxtr</em> knockdown or pharmacological blockade in this region prevents mating-induced partner preferences, while overexpression facilitates bonding. However, no prior work has selectively interrogated or manipulated <em>Oxtr</em>-expressing neurons during dynamic bonding behaviors. We have developed an Oxtr-P2A-Cre prairie vole line that enables direct access to specific <em>Oxtr</em> neural populations. We utilized Oxtr-P2A-Cre prairie voles to express inhibitory DREADDs selectively in OXTR-expressing NAc neurons. Inhibiting NAc OXTR cells during initial cohabitation did not affect subsequent partner preference formation; however, inhibition during partner preference testing increased partner-directed huddling behavior, revealing a complex role for these neurons in social interactions. Using a viral tracing approach, we found that NAc OXTR-expressing neurons receive prominent inputs from the medial prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, and hypothalamus, while projecting strongly to the ventral pallidum, ventral tegmental area, and lateral hypothalamus. Our cell-type-specific manipulation reveals how oxytocin receptor signaling in the NAc may modulate emotional state and facilitate the complex social behaviors underlying monogamous pair bonding. This Cre-recombinase approach demonstrates the utility of cell-type-specific targeting for elucidating oxytocin neural circuit mechanisms regulating emotional and social behavior in prairie voles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 105726"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143705014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High human presence is correlated with lower faecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels in an urban bird population","authors":"Kagiso B. Nhlapo ,&nbsp;Susan J. Cunningham ,&nbsp;Petra Sumasgutner ,&nbsp;Andre Ganswindt ,&nbsp;Andrew E. McKechnie ,&nbsp;Celiwe A. Ngcamphalala","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105724","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105724","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban wildlife must cope with diverse challenges and stressors, including human presence. However, in addition to being a disturbance, humans can provide energy-rich food and protection from predators. We evaluated the impact of human presence on red-winged starlings (<em>Onychognathus morio</em>) in a highly urbanised environment using faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations as a stress-related biomarker. We performed an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge to validate a non-invasive method for quantifying glucocorticoids in red-winged starlings. Using this method, we quantified fGCMs in excreta collected from free-living starlings during weekdays (high human presence) and weekends (low human presence) to determine the birds' responses to fluctuating human numbers. Following the ACTH challenge, starlings' circulating glucocorticoid (GC) concentrations increased by 127 % within 30 min and the corresponding fGCM concentrations increased within 1 h of injection. Of the four enzyme immunoassays (EIA) tested, an 11-oxoaetiocholanolone EIA, performed best, detecting a 310 % increase in fGCM concentrations post-ACTH challenge and suggested a 1-h lag between injection and peak fGCM excretion in this species. Human foot-traffic was significantly higher on weekdays compared to weekends, yet free-living red-winged starlings showed overall 30.4 % lower fGCM concentrations on weekdays compared to weekends. Red-winged starlings consume a higher proportion of anthropogenic food on weekdays than weekends and we cannot rule out the possibility that diet-related alteration in gut passage time affect fGCM concentrations. However, the correlation between fGCMs and human foot traffic may also suggest urban red-winged starlings benefit from human presence. Our results raise the possibility that, under certain conditions, the benefits associated with human presence outweigh potential negative effects associated with human activity, at least during the non-breeding season.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 105724"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143643759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social experience is associated with a differential role of aromatase neurons in sexual behavior and territorial aggression in male mice","authors":"Elliott Trives,&nbsp;Chantal Porte,&nbsp;Thiago Seike Nakahara,&nbsp;Matthieu Keller,&nbsp;Hélène Vacher,&nbsp;Pablo Chamero","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105723","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105723","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aromatase (Aro+) neurons located in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis (BNST) are crucial for the display of both sexual behavior and territorial aggression in naive male mice. The postero-dorsal part of the Medial Amygdala (MeApd) also contains Aro + neurons that are required for territorial aggression, but these neurons seem dispensable for the display of sexual behavior in naive animals. However, little is known about how Aro + neuron circuitry is influenced by social experience. Using a combination of chemogenetics, activity mapping and retrograde viral tracing, we show that social experience modulates Aro + neurons during sexual behavior and territorial aggression. Chemogenetic inhibition of BNST Aro + neurons in socially experienced male mice revealed that these neurons are required for territorial aggression, but not for sexual behavior. Behavior testing in experienced animals showed a specific increase in activation in the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and the Medial Amygdala (MeA) after sexual behavior but not territorial aggression, assessed by Egr1 expression. We also observed an increase of Egr1 cells in the medial Preoptic Area (mPOA), a brain region implicated in the display of sexual behavior. Combined retrograde viral tracing and Egr1 immunodetection showed that a subset of the activated cells in the MeA are Aro + neurons projecting to the mPOA. These results highlight that social experience induces a differential neural activity in the circuitry controlling sexual behavior and aggression, which include MeA Aro + neurons projecting to the mPOA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 105723"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143643760","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Testing the congruency hypothesis using meta-analysis: Are changes in oral contraceptive use correlated with partnered women's sexual satisfaction?","authors":"Victor Shiramizu ,&nbsp;Julia Stern ,&nbsp;František Bartoš ,&nbsp;Yasaman Rafiee ,&nbsp;Thomas V. Pollet ,&nbsp;Benedict C. Jones","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105719","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105719","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Based on claims that changes in women's hormone levels influence their mating psychology, the Congruency Hypothesis proposes that women in relationships who change their hormonal contraceptive use after meeting their partner will report lower sexual satisfaction with their partner than women who do not change their oral contraceptive use. However, findings from studies testing this hypothesis have reported mixed results. Consequently, we conducted a meta-analysis of published studies on this topic. For the thirteen effects sizes from studies using between-subjects designs, the pooled correlation between congruency and sexual satisfaction was not statistically significant (<em>r</em> = 0.04, <em>p</em> = .091) and a Robust Bayesian meta-analysis found that the null hypothesis was moderately favoured over the Congruency Hypothesis (BF₁₀ = 0.123, i.e., BF₀₁ = 8.13, <em>r</em> = 0.003). For the four effect sizes from studies using within-subjects designs, the pooled correlation between congruency and sexual satisfaction was statistically significant (<em>r</em> = 0.18, <em>p</em> = .001) and a Robust Bayesian meta-analysis found weak evidence in favour of the Congruency Hypothesis (BF₁₀ = 1.55, <em>r</em> = 0.09). Although the effect of congruency on sexual satisfaction may be statistically significant in some analyses, across all analyses, results indicated that the magnitude of the congruency effect was small. Thus, we suggest that it is unlikely that changes in oral contraceptive use have a substantial (i.e., large) effect on women's sexual satisfaction on average. Still, some women might experience congruency effects and the overall evidence remains uncertain. More work, ideally in the form of randomized controlled trials, is needed to find a definite answer for research questions relying on the Congruency Hypothesis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 105719"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143629000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}