Description du projet
Les effets des changements hormonaux sur la fonction neurocognitive des femmes
Les trois phases cruciales de la vie d’une femme, la puberté, le cycle menstruel et la ménopause, ont de tout temps été perçues uniquement sous l’angle des cycles de procréation féminine. Les associations avec les aspects cognitifs, émotionnels et sociaux, ainsi que les risques de dépression et d’anxiété ont été ignorés. La recherche a toujours négligé l’impact de la fluctuation des niveaux hormonaux tout au long de la vie de la femme, ce qui a eu des conséquences néfastes sur leur santé. Le projet ChangingLandscapes, financé par le CER, entend combler cette lacune en menant une recherche pluridisciplinaire innovante qui combine des techniques longitudinales, psychopharmacologiques et de neuro-imagerie. Il mettra en évidence les effets des changements de concentrations hormonales sur la fonction neurocognitive des femmes, ce qui permettra une compréhension détaillée des processus cruciaux liés à la santé et au bien-être général des femmes.
Objectif
Puberty, menstrual cycle, and menopause are all critical periods in a female’s life characterized by drastic changes in sex hormone concentrations. These periods are also associated with changes in cognitive, affective and social processing as well as an increased risk of depression and anxiety, stressing the need to advance our understanding of effects of hormonal fluctuations on females’ well-being across the lifespan.
A central process directly associated with cognitive, affective, and social functioning is performance monitoring. Adequate processing of errors, reward, and feedback is essential for efficiently adapting to a changing environment in everyday life. Gender and age effects exist for these processes and disturbances have been linked to anxiety and depression, making performance monitoring an important topic in the investigation of neurocognitive functioning across the lifespan. However, research so far has largely ignored the effects of fluctuating hormonal levels.
To answer the outstanding question how changing hormonal concentrations affect neurocognitive functioning in women, I will employ a unique multi-disciplinary methodology combining longitudinal, psychopharmacological, and neuroimaging techniques. I will address the current gaps in our knowledge using a novel combination of three approaches: (1) a lifespan approach that includes female participants from late childhood to late adulthood, (2) a social approach that moves beyond the non-social focus of performance-monitoring research, and (3) a psychopharmacological approach that focuses on the interactions between the relevant exogenous and endogenous neurotransmitters and hormones for the first time.
The project represents a turning point in our understanding of the effects of naturally occurring hormonal variations on processes that are central for healthy cognitive, affective and social functioning, and will thus change the landscape of neurocognitive research relating to females of all ages.
Mots‑clés
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Appel à propositions
(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) ERC-2022-COG
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HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsInstitution d’accueil
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