MenoBrain
By 2030, the number of women experiencing menopause worldwide is projected to reach 1.2 billion, making menopause a critical yet understudied stage of women's health. Hormonal changes during this transitional period pose risks to brain health, cognitive function, and emotional wellbeing, while also increasing the risk of age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Despite its high social relevance, menopause-related brain changes remain poorly understood, and there are few biologically active compounds and evidence-based interventions available. MenoBrain aims to fill this gap by training a new generation of 15 doctoral candidates who will address pressing menopause-related brain health challenges. The doctoral candidates will work within a multidisciplinary and international network of 19 participants (12 beneficiaries and 7 partners), spanning neuroimaging, neuropsychology, endocrinology, microbiome research, and bioinformatics. MenoBrain will employ state-of-the-art methods, including advanced neuroimaging (MRI, DTI, PET, EEG), host microbiome modeling, and computational BrainAGE models. This integrated approach will make it possible to investigate how menopause-related hormonal changes and interventions, such as menopausal hormone therapy, affect cognitive health, gut-brain communication, and aging trajectories. The project combines scientific expertise with advanced training infrastructure so that MenoBrain doctoral candidates gain knowledge in interdisciplinary and intersectoral research, advanced technologies, and transferable skills. Using cutting-edge infrastructure, MenoBrain participants will search for biomarkers enabling early detection of cognitive impairment, refine therapeutic strategies, and advance personalized healthcare for women in menopause. MenoBrain not only fills a critical gap in women's health research but also aligns with the EU agenda to promote healthy aging, sex-specific healthcare services, and innovative training for the next generation of leaders in science and industry.
Premenstrual Disorders (PMDs): Identification of Psychophysiological Biomarkers and Assessment of Psychological Well-Being
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) are characterized by psychological and somatic symptoms that intensify during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and gradually resolve with the onset of menstruation. The prevalence of PMDD ranges from 1.6% to 8% among individuals who menstruate (Reilly et al., 2024). PMDD disrupts daily activities and interpersonal relationships, causes chronic stress, and is associated with a poor quality of life (Carlini et al., 2022; Henderson et al., 2025). Individuals experiencing PMDD face a higher risk of suicide (Yan et al., 2021) and are more likely to exhibit impulsive, risky behaviors, such as self-harm (Eisenlohr-Moul et al., 2022). However, due to a lack of comprehensive diagnostic criteria, limited involvement of the medical and scientific research community, and the absence of biomarkers, PMDD is often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed as a non-cyclic mood (affective) disorder (Kaltsouni et al., 2024).
The aim of this project is to investigate the associations between psychological well-being, socio-emotional behavior, and psychophysiological variables in groups of women who do and do not experience PMS and PMDD symptoms. To achieve this, a long-term (longitudinal) psychophysiological study will be conducted. Women's psychological well-being will be assessed using questionnaires and clinical interview methods. Resting-state electroencephalograms (rsEEG) will be recorded to evaluate cortical functional connectivity. Event-related potentials (ERP) and eye-tracking will be utilized to assess emotional reactivity and regulation. ELISA and/or HPLC-MS methods will be used to determine sex hormone levels for menstrual cycle monitoring. Participants will be invited to psychoeducation sessions and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions. These methods will allow for a comprehensive analysis of both the physiological and psychological mechanisms associated with these conditions, ultimately enabling the development of personalized, evidence-based interventions that contribute to the improvement of women's mental health. This justifies the necessity of the study, the importance of the proposed methods and evidence-based data, and the exceptional significance of the project in the field of women's health.
This study is being conducted in collaboration with researchers from Erasmus University (The Netherlands): neuropsychologist Dr. Jūratė Aleknavičiūtė and Dr. Astrid Kamperman.
The study takes place between 2025 and 2031 and is conducted in two phases.
Phase One
In the first part of the study, carried out in April–May 2025, we conducted a survey. The aim of the survey was to understand participants' attitudes toward women's psychological (emotional) well-being during the menstrual cycle and to determine the prevalence of this issue. We also hoped to reach women facing emotional and/or physical difficulties during their menstrual cycle and invite them to participate in the planned biomedical study, titled "Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD): Assessment of Women's Psychological (Emotional) Well-Being and the Search for Psychophysiological Biomarkers."
Phase Two
The second part of the study will begin in June 2026 and will involve a comprehensive biomedical PMS/PMDD study aimed at assessing women's emotional well-being and searching for psychophysiological biomarkers. This phase will include a more detailed psychological and biomedical assessment, psychoeducational sessions, and individual specialist consultations.
Recruitment for the study has already begun!
Based on this study, we plan to develop recommendations that will be shared with both the public and the scientific community.
Finished studies
1. Assessing women's self-perception and cognitive and emotional abilities during the menstrual cycle
Self-esteem is an essential aspect of self-concept, and higher self-esteem is associated with positive emotions, the ability to cope with challenges, better work performance, and strongly correlates with life satisfaction. Cognitive and emotional functioning are essential to our daily lives. It has been observed that women tend to perceive their cognitive abilities as changing over the course of the menstrual cycle, e.g., impaired memory or ability to concentrate. Emotional fluctuations, such as heightened emotionality towards the end of the cycle, have also been observed. Still, to our knowledge, no systematic studies have been published that assess the extent to which these subjective assessments align with objective task performance. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine how self-assessment of task performance is related to hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle.
Protocol approved by the Vilnius Regional Biomedical Research Ethics Committee, No 2023/09-1536-999
2. The relationship between sex hormones and male empathy
Empathy involves a variety of intertwined socio-emotional processes that cannot be precisely separated. Recognition of one's own and others' emotions is an integral part of empathy, while suppression of emotions can undermine emotion recognition and compassion, and is associated with depression. The public perception that emotionality is an unmasculine trait has a significant impact on men's more pronounced suppression of emotions, thereby increasing the likelihood of depression and suicidal ideation. The relationship between sex hormones and male empathy has not been studied extensively, but an assessment of this relationship could help better understand the influence of biological factors on this psychological phenomenon. Therefore, this study focuses on men's socioemotional processes and their relationship with sex hormones.
Protocol approved by the Vilnius Regional Biomedical Research Ethics Committee, No 2023/09-1536-999.
3. Investigating the relationship between menopausal symptoms, stress, and gut microbiota
In this study, we examine the links among menopausal symptoms, stress, and gut microbiota. Together with PhD student Ieva Brimiene, a gynaecologist, we will conduct the study in several stages. We started with a survey of women aged 45-55. The survey aimed to assess the symptoms of current or impending menopause, general well-being, and stress.
Thank you to all who took part.
Publications:
Brimienė I., Šiaudinytė M., Ilkevič E., Mazgelytė E., Karčiauskaitė D., Songailienė J., Kaminskas A., Petrėnas T., Utkus A., Burokas A., Grikšienė R. (2024) Associations of reproductive hormones and stress-related factors with menopausal symptoms. Menopause| DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002463
Brimienė, I., Šiaudinytė, M., Burokas, A., & Grikšienė, R. (2023). Exploration of the association between menopausal symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, and perceived stress: Survey-based analysis. Menopause (New York, N.Y.). https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000002259
4. Effects of sex and sex hormones on cognitive and socio-emotional function
The study assessed the association of sex and sex hormones with socio-emotional and cognitive functions. To achieve the study's aim, two studies were conducted using two different psychophysiological methods: eye movement recording and electroencephalography.
Permission for the study was granted by the Vilnius Regional Biomedical Research Ethics Committee, 28 April 2020, No.2020/4˗1223˗708.
Publications:
R. Gaižauskaitė, I. Zelionkaitė, R. Grikšienė (2025) . Study of spatial abilities: The role of sex, female hormonal status, and emotional context in visualizing 2D cross sections of 3D objects. Behavioural Brain Research https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115520
R. Gaižauskaitė, L. Gladutytė, I. Zelionkaitė, R. Grikšienė (2025). Exploring the role of sex, sex steroids, menstrual cycle, and hormonal contraception use in visual working memory: Insights from behavioral and EEG analyses. International Journal of Psychophysiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.112520
R. Gaižauskaitė, L. Gladutytė, I. Zelionkaitė, E. Čėsnaite, N. A. Busch, R. Grikšienė (2024). The search for the relationship between female hormonal status, alpha oscillations, and aperiodic features of resting state EEG. International Journal of Psychophysiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2024.112312.
I. Zelionkaitė, R. Gaižauskaitė, H. Uusberg, A. Uusberg, A. Ambrasė, B. Derntl, R.Grikšienė (2024) // The use of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device is related to preconscious emotion processing: an ERP study. Psychoneuroendocrinology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.10695