Adolescence as a Sensitive Window: Neurobiological Consequences of Hormonal Contraceptive Exposure

Jesse M. Lacasse, PhD, earned his doctorate in behavioural neuroscience from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Liisa Galea’s laboratory at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, where he studies the neurobiological consequences of hormonal contraceptive exposure. His research uses translational rodent models to examine how hormonal contraceptives influence brain function and behaviour, with a particular focus on developmental timing.

Hormonal contraceptive use during adolescence has been associated with an increased risk of depression. Using a translational rodent model of HC exposure, we examined neurobiological and physiological markers relevant to depression. We identified several adolescent-specific alterations in stress reactivity, neuroinflammation, neuroplasticity, energy metabolism, and functional brain connectivity that may help reveal mechanisms underlying this age-specific vulnerability.