Plasma luteinizing hormone level affects the brain activity of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract Objective Cognitive function has been reported to be impaired in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This study aimed to investigate the effect of PCOS on brain activity and explore the relationship between brain activity and sex hormone levels in women with PCOS (WPCOS). Methods Twenty-one women aged 18 to 45 years old with new-diagnosed PCOS were enrolled. Plasma levels of six sex hormones including luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were tested during the 2-5 days of their menstrual periods. Twenty-seven healthy controls (HC) were recruited. Every subject underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) of the whole brain was evaluated followed by the functional connectivity (FC) analysis. Finally, the correlation between the ALFF, FC of the significant areas and the plasma hormone levels were analyzed. Results The patients showed increased ALFF value in the left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG.L) and decreased ALFF value in the left inferior occipital gyrus (IOG.L) as well as the superior frontal gyrus (SFG.R, P  Conclusion PCOS can induce changes in activities of brain regions responsible for visuospatial working memory, face processing and episodic memory. The reduced functional connectivity within the right frontal lobe is related with the high LH level in WPCOS.