Effects of Estrogen on the Central Nervous System.

Estrogen’s actions in the central nervous system are being clarified. We presented some of these concepts several years ago in a BRAINSTORMS feature and updated our findings of estrogen’s actions on its unique nuclear receptors in last month’s feature. Here we illustrate how estrogen interacts with its receptors and how "cross-talk" between estrogen’s actions at its nuclear receptors and its direct and indirect actions at monoaminergic neurons may exert important regulatory effects upon neuronal functioning and behaviors, such as mood and cognition.