The need for novel therapeutics has fueled the burgeoning impetus to uncover biological mechanisms that contribute to sex and individual differences in the manifestations of neuropsychiatric disorders. Investigating interactions between sex hormones and genetic makeup holds promise for this quest.

Animal studies have clearly established that sex hormones impact brain organization and function at critical developmental periods, including gestation and puberty; the neuromodulatory effects of ovarian steroids are well documented across the lifespan. However, little is known about the genesis of individual differences in cognitive and behavioral response to these hormones in humans. For example, why do some women develop postpartum depression while others do not, even in the face of the same hormonal events? Because ovarian hormones are important transcriptional regulators, their actions on the brain may vary according to individual differences in genetic make-up, suggesting an important research direction that could provide information regarding this and similar clinical questions.

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