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Sign up for email micro-briefings in women\u2019s brain health and neuroscience \u27a1\ufe0f Get Email Briefings<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83e\uddec \ud83c\udd27\ud83c\udd27 Why are women more vulnerable to some neurological conditions, like Alzheimer\u2019s disease and multiple sclerosis? Well, a new study in mice has identified a gene on the X chromosome<\/strong> that enhances brain inflammation. As women have two X chromosomes, compared to men who only have one, it\u2019s theorised that women may get a \u2018double dose\u2019 of inflammation from the duplicate gene. Removing the gene also gave female mice more neuroprotection than male mice. This study was published in Science Translational Medicine<\/a>, with a non-academic summary here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\ude0f The unique struggles of ADHD women are historically understudied. But new research is finding that having ADHD <\/strong>makes women around three times more likely to experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder or PMDD.<\/strong> If women with ADHD also experience depression and anxiety, this risk is even greater. However, more research is needed to understand why women with ADHD have this heightened vulnerability to hormonal changes. To learn more about the link between the ADHD and PMDD, read this article in The Conversation<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83e\ude78 The age that a woman gets her first period<\/strong> and reaches menopause can impact her mental health throughout her entire life. A new study has examined how these two biological landmarks in a woman\u2019s life influences her mental health<\/strong> post-menopause. Women who had their first period before the age of twelve or after the age of fifteen had an increased risk of post-menopausal mental health problems, as did the women who hit menopause early. This research was published in Climacteric<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udd37\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2642\ufe0f The more we study dementia, the more we realise it can\u2019t be a one-size-fits-all approach. New research has explored sex-specific patterns of risk factors for Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/strong> to see whether men and women need different dementia prevention strategies. Women\u2019s risk of Alzheimer\u2019s was most impacted by blood pressure and apolipoprotein E or APOE \u03b54 status, with protective factors working together to reduce risk. Meanwhile, men\u2019s risk of Alzheimer\u2019s was most influenced by cognitive outcomes, suggesting key sex differences in dementia risk. The paper was published in Alzheimer\u2019s & Dementia<\/a>, with a summary by the first author on LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf99\ufe0f The six-part The Fog and The Fury video podcast <\/strong>has reached its brilliant conclusion. The idea for this podcast was born during my last Neuroscience Coaching Network and watching the series come together has been both wonderful and insightful. In this final episode, the team of international coaches discuss what they\u2019ve learned about menopause and ADHD from their interviews with scientists, medical professionals, and experts. You can watch it on YouTube here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc83 Much like Taylor Swift, the brain also has eras.<\/strong> Neuroscientists have identified five distinct \u2018eras\u2019 of brain development, based on brain connectivity patterns as we age. Interestingly, the adolescence era was longer than expected, ranging from ages nine to thirty-two. Though this isn\u2019t to say that thirteen is going on thirty. Rather, your brain connectivity simply stabilises as you enter the \u2018adulthood\u2019 era in your early thirties, which then lasts for another three decades. This work was published in Nature Communications<\/a>, with a non-academic summary by The Guardian<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udec0 Women are far more likely than men to suffer from a stroke. So, a new study has used a \u2018brain care score\u2019 <\/strong>to try to predict which midlife women are most at risk of having a stroke<\/strong>. The brain care score measured modifiable physical, lifestyle, and social-emotional factors that impact brain health. The women who took better care of their brains in midlife did have a reduced risk of stroke over the next twenty years, even after adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors. This study was published in Neurology<\/a>, with a non-academic summary here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udd75 During the menopausal transition, some women experience symptoms that disrupt their whole lives while others sail through. But do your menopausal experiences relate to your health<\/strong> in old age? In this article in The Conversation, discover the link between the number of perimenopausal symptoms and the risk of cognitive changes later in life. But always remember, correlation is not causation, and more research is needed to understand why this connection exists and what it means. Read it here: Menopause symptoms may be critical to understanding Alzheimer\u2019s disease risk in women<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83e\uddd1\u200d\ud83e\uddd1\u200d\ud83e\uddd2\u200d\ud83e\uddd2 Parents are more stressed and have worse moods than adults without children, yet they also report higher life satisfaction. Meet the parenting paradox<\/strong>! Wellbeing scientists have been trying to get to the bottom of the confounding parenting paradox to figure out why parents can be simultaneously distressed and fulfilled. This article by Scientific American explores the brain imaging research connecting brain connectivity changes and newfound feelings of meaning in life. Learn more: The Neuroscience behind the \u2018Parenting Paradox\u2019 of Happiness.<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83c\udf0d Only 0.1% of global brain health research originates from Africa, reflective of the wider bias in medical research towards studying Western populations. That is why it\u2019s so exciting that The Female Brain Health and Endocrine Research in Africa (FemBER-Africa) project<\/strong> is now launching. This large-scale study will look at how sex, hormones, lifestyle, and cultural influences contribute to dementia risk for African women. To learn more about this first-of-its-kind study, read the protocol published in Alzheimer\u2019s and Dementia<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83e\ude78 From the start of puberty, girls are often told that periods are painful.<\/strong> But this expectation that periods should be painful means that many girls and women are left living with endometriosis, unbelieved by clinicians of their debilitating pain. This episode of ABC\u2019s Ladies, We Need to Talk podcast explores the lived experience and medical misogyny of endometriosis, the need for greater awareness, and the research that\u2019s hopefully paving the way for better treatments. Listen here: Endometriosis: Pain, periods, medical gaslighting<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udddf\u200d\u2640\ufe0f I spent a chunk of my weekend (weekend of 30th October 2025!) myth-busting that claim the brain \u2018eats itself\u2019 during menopause<\/strong>. This myth arose as a misinterpretation<\/a> of research by Dr Roberta Brinton, which found (in rodents!) that the brain needs to find an alternative source of energy during the menopausal transition. But luckily women are not rats and hormone replacement therapy is not there to stop our brains from \u2018eating themselves\u2019. If you\u2019ve been confused by this debacle, I debunked this myth in an Instagram live with Dr Jen Gunter<\/a>, as did Dr Lisa Mosconi on a live with The Brain Docs<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf2 As I saw over the weekend, scientific misinformation can spread like wildfire<\/strong> on social media. This misinformation can have disastrous effects on people\u2019s wellbeing, leading them to make poorer health decisions. To learn more about health misinformation, including how to spot it on your feeds, check out this article from The Conversation: Health misinformation is rampant on social media \u2013 here\u2019s what it does, why it spreads and what people can do about it.<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83e\udd30 Around one in five new mothers will experience perinatal depression<\/strong>, either during their pregnancy or after birth. But it is difficult to identify those most at risk to give them timely help. New research has found that women who struggle with emotional regulation by mid-pregnancy, even without experiencing any other symptoms, are more likely to later develop depression. This suggests that assessing and improving emotional regulation skills during pregnancy could help identify and help those most at risk. This study was published in Nature Mental Health<\/a>, with a LinkedIn summary by the first author here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc8a Sometimes it seems like the world has gone mad for supplements. Creatine supplements<\/strong> have been doing the rounds in the women\u2019s health sphere recently, with claims that extra creatine can help ease menopausal and menstrual symptoms. But is this neuro-hype or neuro-fiction? Well, there is early research<\/a> suggesting that creatine supplementation can be beneficial for women\u2019s brain health. But, as covered in this ABC News article<\/a>, despite these potential benefits, most creatine supplements are well marketed but not necessarily well made.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udeb6\u200d\u2640\ufe0f More steps equal better health, right? Yes, becoming more physically active is a good thing, but the way you achieve that activity is also important. A new study has found that getting your steps in through sessions of 10 to 15 minutes of walking<\/strong> has greater health benefits than reaching the same number of steps through shorter walking bursts of 5 minutes or less. So, if you are a bit of a couch potato, being more intentional with how you get your steps in may help to maximise the impact on your health. This research was published in Annals of Internal Medicine<\/a>, with a non-academic summary by The Sydney Morning Herald<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\ude46\u200d\u2640\ufe0f The menopausal transition can be difficult for some women. But autistic women <\/strong>are particularly understudied and under-supported yet are more likely to experience more severe menopausal symptoms. In this article by The Conversation, learn more about the unique experiences of menopausal autistic women, as well as the urgent need to provide adequate, neuro-affirming care. Read it here: Why menopause may be even tougher for autistic people \u2013 and what needs to change<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf99\ufe0f ADHD women may also be more likely to struggle with menopause. This interplay of ADHD and menopause is the focus of the six-part podcast series The Fog and the Fury, created by five brilliant coaches from my Neuroscience Coaching Network. In this episode of the series, host Denise Medved chats to Prof Sandra Kooij about her research and treatment of ADHD <\/strong>women during menopause. Listen to it on Spotify here<\/a> or watch on YouTube here<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n