Dr Jessica Agnew-Blais: ADHD & THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE | PMDD, Hormones & ADHD in Women

In this episode of Spicy Brain, host Lara Sullivan is joined by Dr Jessica Agnew-Blais, ADHD researcher at Queen Mary University of London, to explore how ADHD shows up in women and what the menstrual cycle has to do with it.

For decades, ADHD research was built almost entirely on boys. Jess’s work is changing that. She leads the MAAM study (Measuring Adult ADHD and Menstruation), which tracked women with ADHD every day for three months to find out whether their symptoms get worse at certain points in the cycle, and whether their medication stops working before their period. Jess also co-led research finding that women with ADHD are more than three times as likely to meet the criteria for PMDD.

The episode explores:
 🌶️ Why girls and women with ADHD have been missed for so long
 🌶️ How ADHD presents differently in girls, from cartwheels to internal restlessness
 🌶️ Can you grow out of ADHD? Why symptoms change across your life
 🌶️ Late diagnosis after university, new jobs and having a baby
 🌶️ The menstrual cycle explained, and why the luteal phase hits so hard
 🌶️ Why ADHD medication can stop working before your period
 🌶️ Hormonal contraception, anaemia and brain fog
 🌶️ PMS vs PMDD, and the link between ADHD and PMDD
 🌶️ Inside the MAAM study and what researchers hope to find

The results aren’t out yet, but Jess will be back on Spicy Brain once they are.

Tune in for a fascinating conversation about ADHD, hormones and why women deserve better research.

Timestamps
00:00:00 Introducing Dr Jessica Agnew-Blais
00:01:58 How Jess Started Researching ADHD in Women
00:04:17 Why ADHD in Girls Gets Missed
00:05:37 How ADHD Presents in Girls and Women
00:08:33 ADD, Inattentive and Combined ADHD Explained
00:10:18 Early ADHD Research Was Based on Boys
00:14:41 Is ADHD Genetic?
00:15:52 Can You Grow Out of ADHD?
00:19:05 Life Transitions, Postpartum and Late Diagnosis
00:22:36 Is ADHD a Spectrum?
00:24:51 Why Hormones Were Left Out of ADHD Research
00:26:22 The Menstrual Cycle Explained
00:30:57 ADHD Symptoms in the Luteal Phase
00:35:57 Why ADHD Medication Stops Working Before Your Period
00:38:10 Hormonal Contraception and ADHD
00:44:33 Anaemia, Brain Fog and Burnout
00:46:26 PMS vs PMDD Explained
00:49:30 Why You Should Track Your Cycle Before Seeing a GP
00:51:49 The Link Between ADHD and PMDD
00:53:09 Should Neurodivergent Women Be Screened for PMDD?
00:55:04 When Autism and ADHD Overlap
00:57:36 Inside the MAAM Study
01:05:33 Why the Study Uses a Smart Ring
01:11:42 What the Researchers Hope to Find
01:12:50 Funding Women’s Health Research and ADHD in Puberty
01:16:00 How to Follow the Research
01:18:56 Spicy Fire Round
01:24:41 Closing Remarks

Support
This episode touches on low mood and suicidal feelings linked to PMDD. If you’re struggling, you’re not alone:
Samaritans: call 116 123 (free, 24/7) or visit samaritans.org
IAPMD (International Association for Premenstrual Disorders): iapmd.org

Contact Spicy Brain:
 Email: [email protected]

Follow us on social media:
 Instagram: www.instagram.com/spicybrain.podcast/

Follow Lara:
 Website: linktr.ee/Sullivanlara
 Instagram: www.instagram.com/sullivanlara/

Follow Jess:
 LinkedIn: ADHD Lifecourse Lab [LINK]
 MAAM study: www.kcl.ac.uk/research/maam-study