The Effects of the Female Hormones on Cerebral Perfusion

University Ghent

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Contraception; Menstrual Cycle; Cerebral Perfusion

Treatments: Device: Physiological monitoring; Biological: Blood sample; Diagnostic Test: Pregnancy test; Device: Body temperature; Device: MRI scan; Other: Questionnaires; Device: Blood pressure measurement

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03299179

EC/2016/0757

Details and patient eligibility

About

Measuring brain perfusion is biased by a inter- and intrasubject variability, caused by physiological and lifestyle factors. In this study, the investigators want to investigate the variations in cerebral perfusion and other brain parameters (grey matter, resting-state brain activity, brain connectivity and white matter diffusion) caused by the female sex hormones and hormonal contraception.

Enrollment: 62 estimated patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18 to 25 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Bachelor or Master student
• Minimum of 3 months not using contraception of using Deso20

Exclusion criteria

• No informed consent
• MRI-contraindications
• Claustrophobia
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Chronic diseases and chronic medication use
• Smoker
• Drug use
• Abuse of alcohol and caffeine

Trial design

62 participants in 2 patient groups

Natural cycle

Description:

15 female volunteers, not using hormonal contraception, will be scanned during 3 menstrual cycles. During each cycle, the volunteers will be scanned 3 times: during the follicular phase, during ovulation and during luteal phase.

Treatment:

Device: Physiological monitoring

Biological: Blood sample

Other: Questionnaires

Device: MRI scan

Diagnostic Test: Pregnancy test

Device: Body temperature

Device: Blood pressure measurement

Anti-conception

Description:

15 female volunteers, using hormonal contraception pill Deso 20, will be scanned during 3 menstrual cycles. During each cycle, the volunteers will be scanned 2 times: during the pill-week and during the pill-free week.

Treatment:

Device: Physiological monitoring

Biological: Blood sample

Other: Questionnaires

Device: MRI scan

Device: Body temperature

Device: Blood pressure measurement