Conclusions<\/p>\n
Investigators concluded\u00a0that\u00a0these\u00a0ADHD medications\u00a0may\u00a0improve subjective executive function,\u00a0but ultimately\u00a0not cognition, by modulating catecholaminergic pathways that are often disrupted during the menopause\u00a0transition. Additionally, cross-sectional evidence suggests that baseline ADHD symptom severity\u00a0is associated with greater perimenopausal symptom burden.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor most women,\u00a0brain fog at menopause\u00a0is a temporary condition that does not lead to permanent cognitive\u00a0changes\u00a0or dementia. However, it can last long enough to\u00a0disrupt work and\u00a0daily\u00a0routines\u00a0and cause significant stress and anxiety.\u00a0That is\u00a0why studies like this are important in helping to\u00a0identify\u00a0additional\u00a0options for\u00a0symptoms,\u201d says Stephanie Faubion, MD, medical director for The Menopause Society.<\/p>\n
These findings could lead to a nonhormone\u00a0therapeutic\u00a0option\u00a0for addressing perimenopausal executive dysfunction.\u00a0However, larger studies must first confirm whether these medications are safe and effective for this use before they can be recommended as a treatment\u00a0option.<\/p>\n
Unmet Need<\/p>\n
Approximately 44% to 60% of perimenopausal women report cognitive changes\u00a0like forgetfulness and trouble concentrating, or brain fog.\u00a0During the menopause\u00a0transition, there is a significant decline and fluctuation in\u00a0estrogen\u00a0which mediates catecholaminergic signaling within the prefrontal cortex. This neurobiological shift results in brain fog,\u00a0involving quantifiable deficits in working memory, attentional control, and processing speed that mirror the core\u00a0symptom domains\u00a0of\u00a0ADHD.<\/p>\n
Despite this, there are currently no FDA-approved\u00a0pharmacological interventions for brain fog.<\/p>\n
Next Steps<\/p>\n
Details of the study will be discussed as part of the presentation, \u201cBrain Fog or\u00a0ADHD?\u00a0Executive\u00a0Dysfunction in Perimenopause: A Scoping Review of the Role of ADHD Medications,\u201d at the 2026\u00a0Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society in San Diego October 20-24, 2026.<\/p>\n
References<\/p>\n
1. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Conclusions Investigators concluded\u00a0that\u00a0these\u00a0ADHD medications\u00a0may\u00a0improve subjective executive function,\u00a0but ultimately\u00a0not cognition, by modulating catecholaminergic pathways that are often disrupted during…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":934624,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[64,63,137],"class_list":["post-934623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=934623"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934623\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/934624"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=934623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=934623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=934623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}