• D A Hamstra, E R de Kloet, A M van Hemert, R H de Rijk, and A J W Van der Does.
• Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands. Electronic address: d.a.hamstra@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.
• Neuroscience. 2015 Feb 12;286:412-22.

BackgroundOral contraceptives (OCs) affect mood in some women and may have more subtle effects on emotional information processing in many more users. Female carriers of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) haplotype 2 have been shown to be more optimistic and less vulnerable to depression.AimTo investigate the effects of oral contraceptives on emotional information processing and a possible moderating effect of MR haplotype.MethodsCross-sectional study in 85 healthy premenopausal women of West-European descent.ResultsWe found significant main effects of oral contraceptives on facial expression recognition, emotional memory and decision-making. Furthermore, carriers of MR haplotype 1 or 3 were sensitive to the impact of OCs on the recognition of sad and fearful faces and on emotional memory, whereas MR haplotype 2 carriers were not.LimitationsDifferent compounds of OCs were included. No hormonal measures were taken. Most naturally cycling participants were assessed in the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle.ConclusionsCarriers of MR haplotype 2 may be less sensitive to depressogenic side-effects of OCs.Copyright © 2015 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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