Although psychology as a scientific discipline developed before the lifetime of anyone living today, its roots in the late 19th century show that it’s actually a fairly young science. In its infancy, psychologists studied dramatic mental health conditions such as schizophrenia. Throughout the 20th century psychologists began researching the incredible variety of conditions humans are prone to experience. Which is why it should come as little surprise that what is so often in the news today — Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) — has only been studied in-depth quite recently. In the 1960s the term did not even exist. The condition was labeled “Hyperkinetic Reaction of Childhood.” Only in the 1980s did psychologists begin describing it as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

Today research continues at a brisk pace. The “hyperactivity” often associated with ADD has led to the more precise description of ADHD. What’s more, the nuances of ADHD are also being investigated, including a seeming change in symptoms correlating to a woman’s menstrual cycle. Kelso Harper focuses on this issue in an article in Scientific American, noting that “The new findings, which were presented at the U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress but have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, provide the strongest evidence so far that ADHD symptoms can fluctuate along with hormonal shifts.”

The reason that this aspect of ADHD is only now being recognized is probably due to the fact that most research has involved studying boys and men. Clinical psychologists may have been the ones most in tune with the possibility because their patients sometimes complained of an increase in symptoms just before and at the start of their menstrual cycle.

Harper cites a researcher and clinical psychologist who proposes a reason for the increase: “These changes appear to be largely caused by drops in estradiol, the most powerful form of estrogen. Estrogen is mostly known as a sex hormone, but it’s also active in the brain, aiding in attention, memory and mood stabilization. Plus, it helps the body produce and maintain levels of dopamine, an important brain-signaling chemical that plays a central role in ADHD.”

There is a lot more research necessary before psychologists can begin making specific recommendations. However, one issue in particular that needs research is whether medication for ADHD should be adjusted based on the menstrual cycle. The field is also ripe for related study. There is anecdotal evidence, for example, that women with ADHD seem to experience a higher level of postpartum depression and worse symptoms of perimenopause. For now, fortunately, women can take heart that there is heightened attention on mental issues specific to them.