How hormones change the female brain

New research following women and girls is helping researchers map how the brain responds to puberty, pregnancy and menopause. Scientists say it has been overlooked for too long.

For decades, scientists have studied how the human brain develops. But when it comes to women, researchers are still trying to fill major gaps.

A new study published in Nature Communications  has taken a closer look at what happens to the brain during three major hormonal transitions: puberty, pregnancy and menopause.

“Remarkably little is known about the female brain,” said Elseline Hoekzema, a researcher involved in the study. “Due to a lack of research into female-specific conditions and processes, our understanding remains very limited. Research has largely focused on men.”

Researchers analysed brain scans from more than 1,000 women and girls and found significant reductions in grey matter during puberty and pregnancy. During menopause, however, the brain’s usual slight decline in grey matter appeared to pause.

For lead researcher Sophie van ’t Hof (Amsterdam UMC), the study is an important first step in understanding how the female brain changes throughout life.

“There is a significant need to catch up, and work is currently underway, on laying the groundwork for research into the female brain,” van ’t Hof said.

The changes during puberty and pregnancy were partly similar, but also differed across brain regions. Researchers believe the reductions may reflect the brain adapting to new demands rather than becoming less healthy. But they don’t yet know what the changes mean for women’s behaviour, cognitive abilities or mental health.

According to van ’t Hof, only 2–6% of neuroscience studies specifically focus on women, while only around 5% include sex as a research variable.

Hoekzema said understanding these changes could also help researchers investigate mental health conditions. “Each of these hormonal transitions is marked by a significant increase in the development of conditions such as anxiety and depression,” she said.

The results raise more questions than they answer. Scientists do not yet know why grey matter decline appears to pause during menopause, or how the structural changes affect behaviour, cognition or mental health.

“We can ultimately hope to improve healthcare for women,” van ’t Hof said.

The study is therefore not only about hormones. It is part of a growing effort to understand a part of neuroscience that researchers say has been overlooked for too long.