Evaluating the association between steroid hormones and filtering of sensory information in healthy women

Sensori (motor) gating is an integral part of information processing. Stress may affect information processing and is a potent risk factor for the onset and worsening of mental disorders. Sensori (motor) gating is affected by sex hormone rhythms, e.g. changes over the menstrual cycle. Here, we investigated if steroid hormones, i.e. cortisol and ovarian sex hormones, influence sensori (motor) gating. Data from 53 naturally cycling healthy women were analyzed in a cross-sectional design. Associations between prepulse inhibition (PPI) and P50 suppression variables and endogenous estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, total daily cortisol, and the cortisol awakening response were evaluated using multiple linear regression and Spearman's correlation. Total daily cortisol was negatively associated with PPI. Estradiol was positively associated with the acoustic startle response in the PPI paradigm and the P50 amplitude to the conditioning stimulus in the P50 paradigm. Steroid hormone levels were not associated with P50 suppression. In conclusion, estrogen and cortisol levels in healthy, naturally cycling women are associated with key brain measures of basic information processing. This finding may stimulate further studies into the role of stress hormones and estrogen transitions in modulating information filtering, which may be critical for risk and resilience to mental disorders.