A New Link Between Menopause and ADHD in Women: A New Treatment?

    The term “hormones” typically carries a negative connotation in relation to women, indicating that women are not capable of making clear and concise decisions because their hormones can change drastically according to their menstrual cycle. However, recent evidence has depicted that these hormones are necessary and beneficial in terms of healthy cycles, brain activity and function. 

    Dr. Meharvan Singh clearly depicts this concept in his research paper “Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and related mechanisms that mediate and influence progesterone-induced neuroprotection”. This study portrays the importance of brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF) and their role as a mediator of progesterone in neuroprotection of the brain. Thus, this indicates that a lack of progesterone and its mediator in the brain could lead to brain deficits, such as Alzheimer’s or impaired cognitive function. This groundbreaking study also highlights BDNF’s role in the survival of neurons in the brain, synaptic plasticity, and repair mechanisms. 

    These concepts are directly correlated to the ADHD crisis in today’s era. Women are chronically underdiagnosed with ADHD compared to men because symptoms are expressed differently. However, the presentation of ADHD and menopausal symptoms are very similar, such as mood lability, poor attention and concentration, sleep disturbances, and depression. An article by Jeanette Wasserstein, Ph.D depicts how ADHD medications such as Atomoxetine and Vyvanse improve functioning in healthy menopausal women. Therefore, this indicates that menopausal women could benefit from ADHD medication to treat symptoms of cognitive impairments during these hormonal shifts. These shifts during menopause are due to an irregular drop in progesterone levels. However, more research needs to be conducted to determine the underlying neural mechanisms of this treatment and if it only treats the symptoms of cognitive deficits during menopause, or if it actually increases progesterone in the body, thus decreasing the risk for neuronal degradation.

References 

Singh, M., Krishnamoorthy, V. R., Kim, S., Khurana, S., & LaPorte, H. M. (2024). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and related mechanisms that mediate and influence progesterone-induced neuroprotection. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 15, 1286066. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2024.1286066 

Wasserstein, J. (2024, September 25). Menopause, hormones & ADHD: What we know, what research is needed. ADDitude Magazine. https://www.additudemag.com/menopause-hormones-adhd-women-research/