How menstrual-cycle hormones affect ADHD and thinking
Official title: Neural Mechanisms of Menstrual Cycle Effects on ADHD and Cognition
Funded at University of Kentucky · NIH-11392918 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is looking at whether monthly hormone changes during the menstrual cycle change ADHD symptoms and cognitive function in adolescent and adult women.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kentucky NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lexington, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $736,038 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH134859-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392918 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adolescent and adult women with ADHD who have menstrual cycles and can attend in-person visits at the study site.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not menstruate (for example postmenopausal women, some people on certain hormonal treatments), males, or people without ADHD are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
You would be followed across one or more menstrual cycles while researchers track your hormone levels, ADHD symptoms, and performance on attention and memory tasks. The team will collect blood or saliva samples for estrogen and progesterone, ask about mood and ADHD symptoms, and use brain imaging and cognitive testing to see how hormone shifts relate to brain function. This work builds on animal studies and the investigators' pilot data that link lower estrogen or estrogen withdrawal to worse attention and working memory. The goal is to connect monthly hormone changes with changes in ADHD symptoms and brain activity so care can be better tailored for female patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to hormone‑informed timing or new treatment approaches to reduce ADHD symptoms in females.
How similar studies have gone: Animal experiments and the investigators' pilot data support the idea that estrogen changes affect attention and memory, but human neural-level evidence is limited and this approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Kentucky
Lexington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Martel, Michelle M — University of Kentucky
- Study coordinator: Martel, Michelle M
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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.