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Could ADHD Medications Improve Memory, Focus & Organization in Menopausal Women? The Research Says Yes

An overview of the first studies providing evidence that a stimulant medication can be well-tolerated and improve executive functions in healthy menopausal women without ADHD who report subjective decline in working memory, organization, focus and attention that were unprecedented for them prior to menopause.

2 Comments: Could ADHD Medications Improve Memory, Focus & Organization in Menopausal Women? The Research Says Yes

  1. What these studies do not address is the fact that those who are currently approaching or experiencing menopause did not grow up in a time with such a dependence on digital technology and so much information coming at them. They likely had subthreshold symptoms for the diagnosis of ADHD prior to the onset of menopause (which certainly exacerbates ADHD), but previous generations would not have had such noticeable challenges as we were less dependent on the written word and could compensate for slow reading speeds and the need to organize so much information coming at us about so many topics all at once. Plus, past generations of women had children at younger ages, and may not have had to manage careers along with their family responsibilities.

    I would venture to guess that many fell under the radar for symptoms in previous generations, rather than suggesting that individuals “without” ADHD benefit from ADHD medication. It is more likely that the symptoms were there all along, and that the societal changes, along with menopause, made the challenges more noticeable.

  2. Very interesting study, which I will be sharing with my colleagues – thank you Dr. Brown, and ADDitude. I’m wondering if non- ADHD women will be offered this treatment by their health care providers. I hope they read this! I also wonder why some non-ADHD women experience cognitive issues in menopause while others do not. Are there studies elsewhere to explain this?

    Thanks,

    Terry Matlen, LMSW
    http://www.ADDconsults.com

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