Mood and Psychosis Symptoms during the Menopause Transition (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)

The Mood and Psychosis Symptoms during the Menopause Transition grant (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) is purposed to advance the understanding of mood and psychotic disorders such as perimenopausal depression (PMD), generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, that arise or worsen during the menopause transition (MT). Through this knowledge, the aim is to identify potential targets for new treatment interventions. This funding aims to support novel and innovative research that investigates the underlying neurobiological and behavioral contributing mechanisms of these disorders during MT.

It also encourages collaboration on studies from researchers of different disciplines. The aspects of interest include the overlap of depressive symptoms with menopause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and sleep disturbances; the impact of reproductive steroids on mood and behavior during MT; the diagnosis of mood and psychosis symptoms at menopausal stage; the investigation of co-occurring psychiatric symptoms with menopause symptoms; the consideration of common midlife psychosocial factors; and the differentiation of diagnoses.

The application’s review criteria will focus on the comprehensiveness of research into the neurobiology and underlying mechanisms of action of these mood and psychosis symptoms, attention towards hypothesis-driven work is also recommended.