Despite being one of the major hormonal transition phases in the female lifespan, menopause is still underrepresented in medicine and research. Fortunately, this is changing - among others due to our guest, Dr. Claudia Barth, senior researcher at Diakonhjemmet Hospital and the Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research in Oslo, who is an expert on female hormonal transitions and their effect on the brain and mental illness. In this episode Franziska sits down with Claudia to demystify menopause, asking about symptoms, mental health, and what we know about changes in the brain during the menopause transition. Also, they dive into why menopause has remained a blind spot in neuroscience so far and why this matters. With a glimpse into Claudia’s ERC grant on “Mapping Perimenopause\", this episode offers a hopeful vision for future research on women’s health, where menopause is finally getting the attention it deserves.
Website to the ENIGMA consortium: https://enigma.ini.usc.edu/
Website to the ENIGMA Neuroendocrinology workgroup: https://enigma.ini.usc.edu/ongoing/enigma-neuroendocrinology/
Website to the ENIGMA Early Onset Psychosis workgroup: https://enigma.ini.usc.edu/ongoing/enigma-eop-working-group/
If you would like to get in touch with Claudia, you can reach her at: claudia.barth@medisin.uio.no
... or find her work at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Claudia-Barth
Timestamps:
00:27: Introducing Dr. Claudia Barth and her field of research
02:17: How do we define menopause?
05:38: What happens during menopause?
11:40: Menopause and the brain
17:35: Vulnerabilities and associated diseases
21:32: Why do we know so little? Menopause and research
31:55: Menopause and mental health
43:22: Outlook: Claudia's ERC Project on \"Mapping Perimenopause\"
50:56: Summary
54:06: Closing remarks and future directions in research
Outline & questions: Franziska Weinmar
Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804
Editing: Franziska Weinmar
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