Brain fingerprint changes across the menstrual cycle correlate with emotional state

Background Menstrual cycle (MC) is the cyclical phenomenon with the greatest impact on women's mood and behavior. To date, little is known about the potential mechanism and neuroanatomical correlates of behavioral and emotional fluctuations across the MC. Brain connectome fingerprinting, a recently introduced technique in the field of brain network analysis, represents a valid approach in assessing the subject-specific connectivity and in predicting clinical impairment in several neurological diseases. Nevertheless, its performance, and clinical utility, in healthy individuals has not yet been investigated. Methods We conducted the Clinical Connectome Fingerprint (CCF) analysis on source-reconstructed magnetoencephalography signals in a cohort of 24 women across the MC. Results All the parameters of identifiability did not differ according to the MC phases. The periovulatory and mid-luteal phases showed a less stable, more variable over time, brain connectome compared to the early follicular phase. This difference in brain connectome stability (especially in the posterior brain regions) was able to significantly predict self-esteem, wellbeing, and mood. Conclusion These results confirm the high reliability of the CCF and its independence from the MC phases and, at the same time, provide neuroanatomical correlates of the emotional and mood aspects that change across the MC.