Taylor McEachnie, a doctoral student of clinical neuropsychology, is exploring how sex hormones interact and affect cognitive processes.
By Lindsay Charlton
In an effort to better understand how sex hormones affect the brain, a University of Windsor PhD candidate is recruiting participants for a study aimed at closing gaps in women’s health research.
As part of her dissertation in clinical neuropsychology, Taylor McEachnie is leading the Study of Cognition and Sex Hormones, which explores how cognitive function relates to sex hormones, phases of the menstrual cycle, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
McEachnie is looking for study participants aged 18 to 25 with a regular menstrual cycle.
“We’re looking at the menstrual cycle and its phases,” she said.
“We are also looking at hormones, cycle-related physical symptoms, and things like mood, sleep, and physical activity. There’s so much at play, so we’re trying to break it down.”
She said the study includes participants with and without ADHD to examine whether individuals with ADHD experience the cycle differently due to neurobiological interactions with hormones such as estrogen and progesterone.
Participants will take part in an initial screening phone call, during which McEachnie will confirm eligibility and explain what the study involves.
Those who remain interested will then attend two in-person sessions, including cognitive tests of attention, working memory, and response inhibition, as well as questionnaires on attention problems, executive functioning, and daily functioning.
“There is also a survey covering demographics, sleep, mood, physical activity, menstrual and reproductive health, and cognitive functioning,” she said. “As part of an honours thesis, we’re also looking at health literacy, or how people find and evaluate health information.”
Participants can also choose to provide saliva samples to measure hormone levels throughout the menstrual cycle and examine how these relate to cognitive performance.
McEachnie has been developing the project since the start of her PhD studies under the supervision of psychology professor Carlin Miller.
Last year, Dr. Miller’s lab reviewed existing research and found little focused specifically on females with ADHD and how their cognitive functioning relates to hormones or hormonal transitions. Most available studies examined puberty or the menstrual cycle and were published after 2018.
This is why McEachnie is working to provide new insight into the literature on female health.
“ADHD was once thought to be a male-only disorder, and we’re still working to catch up,” she said. “This study is about understanding how ovarian hormones interact with the brain and influence things like cognition and overall well-being.”
She noted that the research is exploratory and will inform larger studies in the future.
“We’re excited to be recruiting participants and collecting data,” McEachnie said.
Those interested in volunteering for the study, or in learning more, can send an email to psyched4hormones@uwindsor.ca
