Project description
Studying female brain through perimenopause
For the vast majority of women, perimenopause (the transition period before menopause) includes hot flashes, night sweats, and changes in mood, sleep, and cognitive function. These neurological symptoms may be early indicators of future neurodegenerative disorders. However, little is known about women’s brain health throughout perimenopause. The ERC-funded MappingPerimenopause project will monitor the female brain during perimenopause. Specifically, it will use large data sets, long-term brain imaging, and detailed biological and psychosocial profiles. Its goal is to discover how individual experiences of symptoms affect brain and mental health, ultimately transforming how we understand women’s well-being in midlife.
Objective
Most women will transition to menopause, but no two experiences are the same. While some women embrace the end of their reproductive years, many others struggle with the broad system level changes that first emerge during perimenopause; the years leading up to the final menstrual period. Up to 80% of women will experience debilitating symptoms during perimenopause which are largely neurological in nature, including vasomotor symptoms (i.e. hot flashes and night sweats), as well as mood, sleep, and cognitive disturbances. The presence and severity of perimenopausal symptoms have been proposed as warning signs for an increased risk of neurodegenerative disease later in life. Yet, women’s brain health is historically understudied, and current knowledge about the brain during perimenopause is largely based on animal work or underpowered cross-sectional human studies, often comparing women pre- and post-menopause without capturing the transition period.
The objective of MappingPerimenopause is to close this critical knowledge gap by mapping the effects of perimenopause on the female brain in unprecedented detail and in a well-powered sample. I propose a multi-level investigation that will provide a mechanistic understanding of the in-vivo temporal dynamics of the female brain across perimenopause and contributing factors. I will test the main hypothesis that how women experience perimenopause matters for their brain and mental health. This will be achieved by the use of big data and by adopting an accelerated longitudinal multi-modal neuroimaging design, following women during their perimenopausal years, together with the rich assessment of biological measures, cognitive and mood symptom profiles, and psychosocial factors. By combining big data mining and comprehensive phenotyping, MappingPerimenopause is a pioneering effort with the potential to transform our understanding of the well-being and brain health of women navigating this critical transitional phase.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-STG
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10117 Berlin
Germany
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