Ovarian sex hormones modulate neuronal circuits not directly involved in reproductive functions. In the present study, we investigated whether endogenous fluctuations of @entity53 and @entity1420 during the menstrual cycle are associated with early cortical processing stages in a cued spatial attention paradigm. EEG was monitored while young @entity1 responded to acoustically cued visual stimuli. @entity1 with large mean amplitude of the event-related potential (ERP) (80-120ms following visual stimuli) responded faster to visual stimuli. In luteal @entity1 , mean amplitude of the ERP as well as alpha amplitude, an indicator of attentional modulation, correlated positively with @entity1420 . Further, cerebral asymmetry in ERP amplitude in the alpha frequency band following target presentation was restricted to luteal @entity1 . Critically, early follicular @entity1 responded slower to right hemifield compared to left hemifield targets. In late follicular or luteal @entity1 , we did not detect a right hemifield disadvantage. @entity1420 correlated negatively with RTs in luteal @entity1 . Therefore, whereas our behavioral data indicate a functional cerebral asymmetry in early follicular @entity1 , EEG recording reveal a physiological cerebral hemisphere asymmetry in the alpha frequency band in luteal @entity1 . We assume that a @entity1420 -associated enhancement in synchronization of synaptic activity in the alpha frequency band in luteal @entity1 improves early categorization of visual targets in a cued spatial attention paradigm.

XXXX -associated increase in ERP amplitude correlates with an improvement in performance in a spatial attention paradigm.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['women', 'Women'] @entity1420 :: ('MESH:D011374', 'Chemical') :: ['progesterone', 'Progesterone'] @entity53 :: ('MESH:D004958', 'Chemical') :: ['estradiol']
@entity1420 :: (MESH:D011374,Chemical) :: ['Progesterone']
