Hormone-linked changes in the hippocampus and memory in women
Official title: Changes in hippocampal microstructure and hippocampal-dependent memory accompanying hormonal fluctuation in naturally cycling women
Funded at University of Nebraska Lincoln · NIH-11180660 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether normal monthly hormone swings change tiny hippocampal brain structure and memory in women aged 18–40.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nebraska Lincoln NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lincoln, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $194,374 |
| NIH project number | 7R21MH127503-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11180660 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women aged 18–40 with regular menstrual cycles who are not using hormonal birth control and can attend visits in Lincoln, NE are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
This work likely won’t directly apply to postmenopausal women, people using hormonal contraception, or those outside the 18–40 age range with irregular cycles.
What this research studies
If you join, you would have two visits timed to different points in your menstrual cycle: one when estrogen is low (start of menstruation) and one when estrogen is high (just before ovulation). At each visit you would provide a blood sample to confirm hormone levels, have MRI plus magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) scans to measure hippocampal microstructure, and complete memory tests that rely on the hippocampus. The team will compare the brain imaging and memory results between the low- and high-estrogen visits to see whether mechanical properties of hippocampal tissue and memory performance change with hormones. The work focuses on naturally cycling women with typical hormone patterns between ages 18 and 40.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could clarify how normal hormone fluctuations affect tiny brain tissue and memory, which might help time assessments or guide future treatments for hormone-linked memory changes.
How similar studies have gone: Animal studies show hormone-linked hippocampal changes, human studies using volume measures have been mixed, and using MRE to track microstructural change across the cycle is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Nebraska Lincoln
Lincoln, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schwarb, Hillary — University of Nebraska Lincoln
- Study coordinator: Schwarb, Hillary
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.